Crystal Night: Rebirth
by Queen Azura
Summary: Welcome to Crystal Tokyo, where a theif can befriend a princess and an army of demons can destroy a city
1. Rebirth

REBIRTH

Chibiusa stepped free of the Time Gate and turned to wave goodbye to Sailor Pluto. The senshi of Time smiled as she disappeared back through the Gate to her eternal post. Chibiusa breathed deeply as she looked down over Crystal Tokyo. The tall buildings glistened in the sunlight, welcoming their princess home. The palace itself rose up above the rest and Chibiusa had to suppress the urge to run straight to it. She was a princess in this time and must act like a lady, like her mother.

"Small Lady!"

Chibiusa looked up and saw her four protectors, the Asteroid senshi, waiting for her. They had once been known as the Amazon Quartet but had been transformed by the power of the Imperial Silver Crystal into Sailor Juno, Sailor Pellas, Sailor Vesta, and Sailor Ceres. 

They bowed formally as they approached her, but Chibiusa could see the mischievous twinkle in their eyes. Junjun, Parapara, Vesves, and Cerecere would always be the playful, childish sisters despite their new powers and responsibilities.

"Welcome home, Princess," Sailor Juno said.

Chibiusa smiled. "Thank you, Junjun."

"Your parents are expecting you," Sailor Vesta added.

"I bet they have a big feast prepared, right Vesves?"

Sailor Pellas smiled. "Lots of cookies and treats!"

"They've always been Parapara's favourites," Sailor Ceres said.

"I'm not in a huge rush to get home," Chibiusa said. "I haven't been here in such a long time, how about we walk through the city, Cerecere?"

"The Queen wouldn't like that," Juno warned.

"How would she know?" Vesta argued. "Small Lady has been gone so long, she should see what's changed."

"But we're just senshi-in-training," Pellas said. "The older senshi will be mad at us."

"Especially Sailor Uranus," Juno added.

The Asteroid senshi shuddered as they thought of the harsh punishment Uranus would inflict upon them for disobeying. Sailor Uranus ran the training ground like a drill sergeant, and even Sailor Neptune couldn't control her at times. The playful Asteroid senshi were always feeling the sharp lash of Uranus' tongue.

"But if Princess Usagi ordered us," Ceres said, "we'd have no choice but to listen."

The other three nodded excitedly and turned to Chibiusa with large, pleading eyes. Chibiusa smiled, enjoying the familiarity of their game. It was this type of reasoning that had caused the five of them a lot of trouble, but it never stopped them from doing it again. Chibiusa drew herself up and put on a haughty expression.

"I command you to take me home through the city," Chibiusa said.

The Asteroid senshi cheered and bowed. "As you wish," they said in unison.

With Sailor Vesta in the lead, followed by Juno, Chibiusa, Ceres, and Pellas, they marched down the hill and into the city of Crystal Tokyo.

********

The city welcomed the return of their princess. People on the street bowed as Chibiusa passed with her retinue while others waved from windows and doorways. Chibiusa smiled and waved back, glad to be back in the familiar city of her birth. The Asteroid senshi walked in front and behind her, clearing a path and making sure no one troubled the young princess.

"What's been happening since I left?" Chibiusa asked.

"Trouble with the Black Moon Clan again, Highness," Sailor Ceres said, quietly so no one would overhear.

Chibiusa frowned. "But we stopped them in the past a long time ago! They shouldn't be bothering the future."

"Not Prince Diamond, Highness, but his successor," Ceres replied. "They call her Abyss and many people believe her to be the reincarnation of Sailor Galaxia."

Chibiusa's frown deepened. It appeared that, although she had been redeemed and saved by Eternal Sailor Moon, Sailor Galaxia still had a bad reputation. Chibiusa didn't blame the people for fearing her. After all, she had gone on a rampage, destroying hundreds of worlds and collecting the life-forces of their guardians in the form of Star Seeds. Chibiusa had heard all about it from the other senshi at the palace, although her parents refused to even mention it. Rumor had it that Galaxia went into exile in disgrace.

"What does she want?" Chibiusa asked.

Ceres shrugged. "No one knows. She just attacks the city at random, smashes a few houses, and runs off. She hasn't even tried to test the defenses of the palace."

Chibiusa lapsed into thought while Sailor Vesta lead them deeper into the city. They passed through the commercial area with all the crystalline shops and into a more dismal part of Tokyo. Chibiusa looked around with great apprehension. Her mother had forbade her from ever coming to this part of the city. 

The beautiful crystal buildings disappeared and were replaced by the ruins of Old Tokyo. Huddled within the shells of former buildings lived the poor of Crystal Tokyo. Despite the best efforts of the crown, it was impossible to feed and employ every citizen of Tokyo and so a few lived in poverty. Chibiusa picked up the pace, wanting to be free of this area and safe with her parents.

"Can we hurry?" Chibiusa asked.

Juno looked over her shoulder. "I thought you wanted to see the city?"

"I do," Chibiusa replied, "but Mother would be very angry if she knew I was in this part of the city."

Vesta sighed. "We can protect you, Princess."

"Don't worry," Ceres added.

"Everything is under control," Pellas finished.

It was at that moment that the attack came. An explosion directly in front of the small procession tossed them all backwards. Juno and Vesta were on their feet in an instant while Ceres and Pellas guarded Chibiusa. 

"Stay here, Highness," Ceres said. "We'll find the attacker."

Before Chibiusa could say a word, all four of her protectors had leapt to the rooftops and disappeared. The princess sighed. Her protectors had always been flighty, which was one of the main reasons Sailor Uranus didn't like them. 

Chibiusa leaned against a crumbling brick wall wondering how she would explain this to her mother. Suddenly, she was surrounded by black humanoid creatures. They were devoid of any features except large, white eyes. There were five of them and they quickly began advancing. Chibiusa took a last look along the rooftops for her protectors before fleeing down an alleyway, deeper into the ruins of Old Tokyo.

She knew the way partly because of her time spent in the past, but was blinded by fear and soon became lost. The black shadow people followed and Chibiusa could hear their footsteps close behind her. Without slowing, Chibiusa risked a look behind and ran into someone, knocking them both down.

The person that Chibiusa knocked over sat up and rubbed her head. She was about Chibiusa's age with short, straight blue hair and large brown eyes. She wore tattered clothing and looked angrily at her attacker.

"What gives?" she demanded.

As both girls climbed to their feet, Chibiusa looked around in fright. The blue haired girl looked around as well to see what the other was so afraid of.

"Are you okay?" she asked, her voice more kind than before.

"I'm sorry," Chibiusa stammered, "but they're after me."

"If you need to hide, you bumped into the right person. Follow me!" the girl said, grabbing Chibiusa's wrist.

Wordlessly, the princess followed the blue haired girl into an abandoned building. Outside, the shadow people disappeared, their mission accomplished.

********

The girl lead Chibiusa into the basement of a ruined building and closed the decrepit wooden door closed behind them. In the darkness, she lit a small lamp and placed it next to Chibiusa.

"They won't find us here for a while," she said.

"Thank you," Chibiusa replied.

"Any time," the girl answered. "This is where I grew up. I know these ruins like the back of my hand."

They grew silent, expecting an attack to come any minute. An hour past before Chibiusa dared to speak again.

"What's your name?" Chibiusa asked.

"Kuusou Akumu," the girl replied. She squinted in the dim light. "You look very familiar. Have we met before?"

Chibiusa shook her head. "I'm Tsukino Usagi."

Akumu blinked suddenly and backed away. "Oh no. You're not Tsukino Usagi, the daughter of Queen Serenity, are you? Please tell me you're not the princess!"

"I am," Chibiusa said, rising to her feet. "What's wrong with that?"

Akumu began pacing back and forth. "This is great. I spend my whole life avoiding the senshi and then I bring one of them to my secret hideout."

"Avoiding the senshi?" Chibiusa asked.

"I thought you were running from the senshi," Akumu explained, still pacing. "Most people who run through here are. The senshi are known for their patrols, hauling us away in the middle of the night."

Akumu suddenly turned to face the pink haired girl. "If I let you go now, will you promise not to tell the senshi about me?"

"Why? What did you do?"

Akumu bit her lip. "I'm a thief, a rather good one. The patrols that the senshi conduct sometimes see me stealing, but I always manage to get away. I'm not sure, but I think their leader has a reward out for me."

Chibiusa laughed. "I don't know about a reward, but I promise not to turn you in. You saved my life."

Akumu smiled. "You're not that bad, for a princess."

Chibiusa smiled back. "Thanks, I think. Maybe we should head back to the surface. I'm sure my protectors are looking for me."

Akumu raised an eyebrow questioningly but said nothing. She lead the way out of the ruined building and back to the alley where they had first met. She pointed the way Chibiusa had come.

"We're really close to the walls of the palace. If you keep walking that way, you should reach the eastern gate," Akumu said.

Chibiusa lowered her eyes. "Could you walk with me? In case those monsters show up again."

Akumu thought about it for a minute. "Okay," she agreed, "but the minute I see a patrol, I'm out of there. Got it?"

Chibiusa smiled. "Got it."

********

Sailors Juno, Vesta, Ceres, and Pellas stood in front of Sailor Uranus looking very much ashamed of themselves. Their heads were lowered and they scuffed their boots in the sand of the training arena. They had searched the ruins for Chibiusa for quite some time before returning empty handed to the palace to face Uranus' wrath. The other senshi had immediately gone to the ruins to find the princess after Queen Serenity herself had expressed her displeasure with the Asteroid senshi.

"What on Earth were you thinking?" Uranus asked for the hundredth time. "Why did you leave her?"

"We were attacked," Pellas spoke up. "We tried to find the attacker."

"By leaving the princess undefended in the middle of the ruins?" Uranus yelled. "Didn't you think the attacker would come back after you had left?"

The Asteroid senshi paled. They all liked Chibiusa and treated her like another member of their band. The thought of her dead because of them was unthinkable.

"We're sorry," Ceres apologized.

"I want the four of you to run laps of this track until the princess is found," Uranus ordered. "While you run, think about the way a protector is supposed to behave."

"But it could take hours before they find her," Juno protested.

Uranus didn't answer, but left the arena to join the search. Grumbling, the Asteroid senshi began to run.

"It wasn't this hard work with Nehelenia," Vesta remarked.

"Parapara hates to run," Pellas agreed.

"But it is our fault," Ceres said. "We shouldn't have left her alone."

"We should be the ones to find her," Juno decided.

With a nod, the Asteroid senshi abandoned their laps and leapt over the walls of the training arena to join the search for the missing princess.

********

Chibiusa and Akumu talked as they headed through the jumbled ruins to the eastern gate. Chibiusa spoke of her time in the past, careful not to mention that she herself was a senshi-in-training. Akumu told the princess of her life as a thief, hiding from patrols, stealing food to survive, and never really knowing a true home. Chibiusa frowned at this last comment.

"Where are your parents?" the princess asked.

Akumu shrugged. "Who knows? They might be dead or maybe they left Tokyo and forgot about me. I've been alone for as long as I can remember."

"You don't have any friends?" Chibiusa asked.

"Friends are trouble, Princess," Akumu replied. "If no one knows you, no one can turn you in or stab you in the back."

Chibiusa frowned and they walked in silence for several minutes. Suddenly, Akumu froze.

"What is it?" Chibiusa asked.

"I think you're about to become unlost," Akumu said.

Chibiusa craned her neck over a pile of rubble but didn't see anything. She turned to tell Akumu, but the girl was gone. When Chibiusa turned back, two tall senshi were standing in front of her.

Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune had aged gracefully. They did not appear old at all, despite having been born in the 20th century. The spell the Imperial Crystal had cast over the city a century ago had preserved the youth of all the senshi as well as of their princess enabling them to awaken a hundred years later.

"There you are," Neptune said with a smile.

Chibiusa stepped out into the street and the two senshi bowed respectfully. Sailor Uranus looked very upset and Chibiusa wisely decided not to ask where her four protectors were.

"Come on," Uranus said gruffly, turning on her heel.

Neptune waited as Chibiusa turned for a final look into Old Tokyo before following the elder senshi. 

"Did you forget something, Princess?" Neptune asked.

"No," Chibiusa said. "I guess not."

From the shadows of the ruined buildings, a pair of large brown eyes watched the two senshi escort the princess away. 

********

Haruka burst into the bedroom of the apartment she shared with Michiru and slammed her fist down on the table so hard that Michiru's glass vase jumped. Michiru calmly caught it and set it down gently as Haruka stormed through their rooms. Like all the senshi, they had been given a set of private rooms in the palace, but unlike the others, they had decided to share a single set instead of having two separate ones. 

"I can't believe them!" Haruka fumed. "What was Usagi thinking when she made them senshi?"

Haruka had returned to the training ground, after Chibiusa had been returned safely to her parents, only to find the Asteroid senshi missing. She waited for them patiently until just before sundown when they snuck back into the arena. Haruka had immediately taken them off duty and told them to report bright and early for training, then had reassigned them to patrolling the walls.

"She was thinking of her daughter," Michiru answered. "The inner senshi are always busy with the palace defenses and you and I have our hands full with the city. That only leaves Hotaru to protect Chibiusa and you know how much of a strain it is on her health."

Haruka threw herself into a chair, grumbling under her breath. Michiru turned back to her mirror and continued to brush her long, aquamarine hair. Haruka watched for a moment before standing and putting her arms around Michiru's shoulders. The other girl smiled and put her brush down.

"Serenity made them my responsibility," Haruka said, her voice muffled by Michiru's hair. "That means it was my fault Chibiusa got lost."

"Not true," Michiru answered. "The Amazon Quartet were flighty as minions of Nehelenia as well. Making them senshi would not change their personalities."

Haruka straightened and sighed. "You're right. I just can't make them understand how serious this is."

Michiru turned in her seat to face Haruka. It was evident by the blond girl's stance that she was upset. 

"How about we have Hotaru stay with Chibiusa, just in case?" Michiru suggested. "They're inseparable most of the time anyway. At least the princess will be safe if she's attacked."

"I hope her training in the past has paid off," Haruka said. "As I recall, her powers were less than effective."

"All the more reason to put the most powerful senshi with her as a protector," Michiru answered. "If you like, I can shuffle around some of my duties in court to spend time with the princess."

Haruka waved the idea aside. "Don't bother. Hotaru will be fine until I get the Asteroid senshi into shape. Right now I have to deal with the rising crime in the city."

Michiru watched as Haruka left their bedroom for her own private study. Queen Serenity had put Haruka in charge of the city safety as well as the training of new soldiers and senshi. She had given Michiru the task of keeping the city clean and beautiful as well as planing court events. The inner senshi also had their hands full, thanks to the new Queen. While they were all called upon to raise the palace shield, Makoto ran the servants and palace security, Rei dealt with religious matters and settled minor disputes, Minako was in charge of the palace grounds, and Ami kept Chibiusa and Hotaru up to date on their schooling, as well as being the royal family's personal physician. 

"Any plans for the thieves in Old Tokyo?" Michiru called.

"I've tried work programs, but no one seems to care," Haruka replied. "I don't know what else to do with these people."

"Ask Mamoru if he has any ideas," Michiru suggested.

Haruka nodded. "I'll see him first thing tomorrow morning, after I tell Hotaru about her new assignment and drill some sense into the Quartet."

********

Chibiusa and Hotaru crept to the eastern gate of the palace grounds. The princess had sat impatiently through her morning classes with Ami and had completed her exercises with Haruka as quickly as possible. Now she carried a small basket on one arm as she and Hotaru snuck out the gate into Old Tokyo.

"Are you sure about this?" Hotaru asked. "You did get attacked here yesterday."

"I know," Chibiusa said. "That's why I have to come back. I need to thank the girl who saved me."

The two girls disappeared into the ruins. Hotaru stayed close to Chibiusa, looking around warily. She remembered her talk with Haruka that morning and kept one hand on her transformation pen as they walked.

"How will you find her?" Hotaru asked.

"I don't know," Chibiusa replied. "I hadn't thought that far."

The two girls rounded a corner and stumbled on three large men. They were dressed in rags and looked the two well dressed girls up and down hungrily. Chibiusa and Hotaru back away, but one of the men moved to intercept them and cut off their escape.

"Brought us treats, did you girls?" one of the men said.

He leaned close and Chibiusa nearly fainted from the smell. Hotaru pressed herself closer to the princess, an angry expression on her face.

"Leave us alone," Hotaru said.

"Come on, girlie," another man said. "Just a peak at the basket."

"Back off!" a new voice called.

The men turned and saw a girl with blue hair and large brown eyes stared angrily at them. They looked from her to their two captives and pushed Chibiusa and Hotaru to the ground before leaving the three girls alone. Akumu helped them to their feet.

"Princess!" Akumu gasped. "What are you doing here?"

"I brought you a thank you present," Chibiusa said, holding out the basket. 

Akumu eyed Hotaru warily. Chibiusa was shocked by how similar they looked. It reminded her of another who had looked a lot like Michiru, a long time ago.

"Who's she?" Akumu asked.

"Is this the girl who saved you?" Hotaru said at the same time.

Chibiusa giggled. "Hotaru-chan, mean Akumu. Akumu, this is Hotaru."

"Hi," Hotaru said.

"You're not a senshi, are you?" Akumu asked suspiciously.

"I am," Hotaru replied.

Akumu looked back to Chibiusa. "You promised me, Princess."

She shoved the basket back into Chibiusa's hands and turned to leave. Hotaru blinked in confusion as Chibiusa ran after the blue haired girl.

"Akumu! Wait!" Chibiusa called. "I didn't bring her here to turn you in! I just wanted to thank you!"

Akumu stopped. "You're welcome, Highness," she said without turning. "Now if you're smart, you'll leave this place and never return."

Chibiusa felt tears forming in her eyes. She put the basket down on the ground and turned to rejoin Hotaru. When she was out of sight, Akumu walked back to the basket and picked it up. It was full of bread and cakes with a note tucked inside. Akumu couldn't read very well, but she recognized her own name on the note, so she tucked it into her pocket and bit into a piece of bread. It was the best thing she had ever tasted. 

Still holding the basket, she scrambled to the roof of a nearby building and scanned the streets for the princess. Akumu quickly found her with the senshi heading back to the eastern gate. She watched until both girls had snuck back in before returning to her small shack where she ate the rest of her gift in peace.

********

Haruka walked along the walls near the eastern gate, enjoying some time free from the pressures of court. A cool breeze pushed against her and she leaned into the wind, her element. The others were inside the palace, eating the magnificent feast prepared in Princess Usagi's honour but Haruka had felt the need to get away. Michiru had risen to join her but Haruka had motioned for her to remain. Understanding as always, Michiru had returned to her seat, no questions asked.

Haruka leaned against the walls, staring out into Old Tokyo. The problem of the thieves residing in the ruins popped into her mind again. Old Tokyo was a breeding ground for trouble, an element they could not afford with the rapidly increasing problem of Abyss. It the Black Moon Clan got a foothold so close to the palace, the golden era of Queen Serenity would be at an end.

Suddenly, she heard a commotion at the gate itself. Quickly, she descended to ground level where three guards were trying to catch someone. They had cornered her against a half destroyed building, but she had leapt into the air with surprising agility and landed on the other side of them. As Haruka appeared, the fourth guard, who was left to watch the gate, saluted.

"My Lady," he said.

"What's going on?" Haruka demanded, her eyes not leaving the scene.

"One of the thieves from Old Tokyo," the guard replied. "She came up to the gate and demanded to see the princess. We refused, of course, and she tried to get past us."

"Four against one?" Haruka asked, one eyebrow raised.

"Yes, my Lady," the guard answered. "She's a wiry one. We've been trying to arrest her for nearly half an hour."

The trio of guards cried out in alarm as the thief broke free and ran into the ruins. Haruka ran from the gate, glad Serenity hadn't insisted she wear a dress. Although it had been years since her last race, Haruka had kept herself in peak physical condition and easily outdistanced the three guards. Ahead, she could see the short blue hair of her prey. The young girl risked a look back and her brown eyes widened as she saw who pursued her. Quick as a flash, the thief took to the rooftops with Haruka a step behind her.

They ran nearly the entire length of Old Tokyo before Haruka managed to catch up to the girl. Throughout the chase, Haruka had been forced to admire the girl's skill. She negotiated every turn with perfect precision and had nearly lost Haruka several times.

Finally, Haruka was close enough to catch the thief and she dove, catching the girl around the knees. They both fell in a heap and the girl kicked her way free. Haruka rolled with her until the roof disappeared and the thief fell. Reaching out, Haruka grabbed her hand.

Haruka finally got a good look at the girl she had been chasing. Recognition struck her as angry brown eyes stared up.

"You!" Haruka gasped.

"Glad you remember me, my Lady," Akumu said bitterly, "but I would rather die than give you the satisfaction of thinking you caught me."

"Wait!" Haruka cried as Akumu let go of Haruka's hand.

The girl didn't cry out as she fell to the ground far below. Haruka heard the muted thud of Akumu's body striking the ground and leapt after her. She landed gently beside the girl and noticed a piece of paper in Chibiusa's handwriting peaking out of the thief's pocket. Haruka picked it up and read it.

Akumu - 

Thank you so much for helping me get away from those monsters. You are a true friend.

- Usagi

The girl moaned as Haruka returned the note to her pocket. With a sigh, she picked up the thief gently and began the long walk back to the palace. It was well past midnight when they returned and the guards scrambled to attention as Haruka passed. She brought Akumu to an empty bedroom, called for a guard to remain outside the door, and returned wearily to her own rooms. Scribbling a quick note to Michiru, she sank her tired body into bed. It had been a long, busy day.

********

Ami pushed up her glasses and tightened her grip on her black medical bag. With a nod, she signaled to the guard to let her in the normally empty bedroom. The guard nodded and opened the door, allowing Ami to step inside. The form on the bed didn't stir as the door closed firmly behind Ami. She took a deep breath and headed to the bedside of her newest patient. 

She had fulfilled her childhood dream of becoming a doctor and had quickly risen to the position of personal physician to the royal family of Crystal Tokyo. Ami had other patients of course, all members of the nobility, and she had been on her way to see one when Michiru had told her about the girl in the spare bedroom. Ami reached into her pocket and felt the paper of the note that Michiru had given her, a hastily scrawled message saying what had happened to the thief the night before. Ami was upset Haruka hadn't come to her immediately after the accident, but the girl's injuries were not life threatening so Haruka had thought it safe to wait a few hours. Michiru had gone to apologize to Ami's waiting patient and Ami had headed straight for the guarded bedroom.

Ami looked down on the sleeping girl and could have sworn she was looking at Hotaru with blue hair. In slumber, the two could have been twins. Ami placed her bag next to the bed and her patient's eyes opened. Ami saw the hurt, mistrust, and hatred in those brown eyes and realized this girl could never pass for Hotaru.

Ami smiled cheerfully and reached for the blankets that covered the thief to her chin. The girl held tightly with one hand, her eyes locked on Ami's.

"Who are you?" she demanded.

Ami sat on the bed and withdrew her hand. "My name is Dr. Mizuno. I'm here to help you."

The girl's eyes narrowed suspiciously and she tore them away from Ami's face long enough to look around the room. "Where am I?"

"In the Crystal Palace," Ami replied. "You're hurt. Please let me help you."

The girl struggled into a sitting position, her left arm hanging limply at her side. She winced and clutched her ribs with her good arm.

"I'm a fast healer," she said. "Thanks for the night's stay, but I'll be going."

Ami firmly took hold of the girl's good shoulder and pushed her gently back into bed. The girl was too hurt to resist and finally allowed herself to be examined by Ami's skilled hands. A few minutes later, the doctor was done and sat back.

"Nothing broken," Ami said in amazement. "Just some bruised ribs and a dislocated shoulder. I'll bind your arm, but you'll have to lie here for at least a week until your ribs heal."

"I'm fine," the thief insisted, but she sat still as Ami tied her left arm across her chest.

"Now," Ami said as she worked, "what's your name and why were you trying to get into the palace?"

"Kuusou Akumu," the girl said, "and I was trying to return a basket to Princess Usagi."

Ami smiled. "So, you're the won who saved Chibiusa. You could have just made an appointment to return the basket."

"'Chibiusa'?" Akumu repeated.

Ami giggled as she put away her instruments. "It's a pet name for the princess shared among the senshi."

Akumu's eyes hardened at the mention of the senshi. "Am I going to jail?"

Ami snapped her bag closed and turned to the girl. "Of course not, but I know a few people who will want to meet you. Rest here and when you're feeling better, we'll talk again."

Ami rose and knocked on the door so the guard would open it to let her out. She looked back to say a final farewell, but Akumu was already asleep.

********

"You're kidding," Rei said. "The thief Haruka chased down is the same girl who saved Chibiusa?"

The four women commonly referred to as the inner senshi sat together in the central room that joined all their suites. They often met here, sometimes with Usagi, to talk about the comings and goings of the palace.

"Does Chibiusa know?" Makoto asked.

Ami shrugged. "I thought it best for Usagi-chan to meet her before we get Chibiusa excited."

"What's she like?" Minako inquired.

"Very guarded and mistrusting," Ami replied. "I don't think she likes the senshi very much. She reminds me of Haruka back when we first met."

"She can't be that bad," Rei teased.

The women laughed as the door from the throne room opened and Queen Serenity came in. She moved with a gracefulness that had always been lacking in her youth, her head held high and a gentle smile on her lips. The inner senshi all rose and bowed as she came in, but as the door closed, the regal persona dropped and she laughed.

"Quit it," she said. "I hate it when you guys get all formal on me."

The women sat down again and Rei signaled to a servant to bring in some refreshments. 

"Anything interesting happen out there?" Makoto asked as she picked up her cup of tea.

Usagi sighed. "The tenth anniversary of Crystal Tokyo is coming up and Mamo-chan thought it would be a good idea for our allies to renew their allegiances. I've heard from ambassadors around the galaxy, each wanting something in their treaty changed."

Minako made a face. "Ugh. Thanks for excusing us before all that happened, Usagi-chan."

Usagi stuck out her tongue at Minako. "If the ambassadors hadn't wanted to keep this personal, you'd all be out there suffering with me!"

"Relax, Usagi-chan," Rei said. "Ami has some interesting news for you."

Usagi looked at Ami as the blue haired doctor told her queen about Kuusou Akumu. Usagi nodded as the story was being told and pursed her lips thoughtfully when Ami had finished.

"I would like to meet this girl," Usagi decided. "Have her presented in court when she's able and then she can join us for lunch. Rei-chan, you and Michiru-san can see about getting her ready for court. We can't have a poor thief in rags appearing in front of those ambassadors."

"I'll check on her again tonight to see how she's doing," Ami said. "With the injuries she had, she shouldn't have been able to move, but she nearly leapt out of bed when I arrived. Something is odd about her."

Usagi nodded in agreement. "We'll keep the guard by her door, just in case. If she rescued Chibiusa, she can't be that bad."

The doors to the throne room opened and Artemis stuck his head into the apartment. 

"I hate to disturb you ladies," he said, "but the ambassador from Andromeda is here and is demanding to see you."

Usagi sighed and stood. Fixing her crown, she composed herself once more and walked elegantly to the throne room. At the doorway, she paused and turned to look at the inner senshi over her shoulder. Sticking out her tongue, she shot the face at her friends and entered the throne room, leaving a lot of giggling behind.

********

Akumu woke up the next morning to find herself still in the bedroom in the palace, surprised she had slept yesterday away. The sling that had bound her arm had been changed and a glass of water sat on the table beside her bed. Her arm ached, but her ribs felt much better and she sat up with only minor discomfort. Pushing back the covers and swinging her legs out of bed, she realized her clothes had been removed and she was wearing a simple sleeping gown of white cloth. She stood and went to the window.

Outside she could see the beautiful crystal structures that made up most of Tokyo. She guessed that her room overlooked the principal western gate since she could not make out the ruins. Directly below her were exquisite gardens with a long, wide path leading from the gates to the palace doors themselves, lost from view beneath her. She could see to her right the closed off arena where soldiers and senshi drilled under the supervision of Lady Uranus and to her left she saw a cluster of buildings that seemed deserted, their windows dark.

Leaving the window, Akumu circled the small bedroom. It was well lit and warm, with her small bed against the left wall from where she stood, and the door directly in front of her. To her right was a wooden desk with some paper and pencils on it as well as a tray of food. Her hunger suddenly overwhelming her, Akumu headed for the desk, sat down, and began to devour the contents of the tray. There was hot broth, bread, some strange fruits, and milk to drink. As Akumu ate, the door opened and two women stepped inside.

The taller of the two had shoulder length aquamarine hair and blue eyes. She wore a long, pale aquamarine gown and carried some clothing over her arm. She smiled gently as she came in and laid the clothing on the bed. The other woman had long, black hair and purple eyes and wore the robes of a priestess. Akumu quickly swallowed the food she had been eating and rose to her feet.

"Good morning," the aquamarine haired woman said cheerfully. "My name is Kaiou Michiru and this is Hino Rei."

The priestess nodded, a look of disapproval on her face. Akumu bowed politely.

"Ladies," she said.

"Ami told us you were healed enough to move around, so Queen Serenity made an appointment to meet you," Rei said. "It is our job to make you presentable in court."

Akumu made a face. "Presentable? Forgive me, Lady, but I'm just a thief. Why would the Queen want to meet me?"

"You saved the life of her daughter," Michiru answered.

"I only hid her for a while," Akumu said. "The Princess already thanked me. My kindness almost cost me my life and now it may cost me my freedom."

Michiru laughed. "You're not going to jail, if that's what you think. Saving the Heir to Crystal Tokyo should help the authorities forget your past crimes."

"Unless you've killed someone," Rei added.

Akumu chewed her lip thoughtfully. "I just want to go home. I didn't think helping a girl would change everything I've ever known."

"It is disrespectful to turn down the Queen of Crystal Tokyo," Rei snapped. "You should be honoured that she wants to speak with you."

Akumu bowed her head. "Yes, Lady."

Michiru frowned at Rei. "All you have to do is wear a nice dress, walk up to the throne and curtsey. Then Queen Serenity and King Endymion will end court and take you someplace more private to talk. Don't worry."

Akumu took a deep breath. "Okay."

The gown Michiru had brought was a fine silver colour and it complemented Akumu's blue hair beautifully. It was a little awkward getting the dress around her bound arm, but they managed. It took the two women, however, the rest of the morning and into the afternoon to teach the thief how to walk in a dress and curtsey properly.

"I thought Ami-chan said her ribs were bruised," Michiru remarked as she and Rei left Akumu later that afternoon.

"They are," Rei replied. "Ami-chan thought there was something odd about her. She was walking pretty straight for a person who fell off a roof, and her arm looked sprained, not dislocated."

"I noticed it as well," Michiru mused. "Something is indeed amiss with her. We should be on our guard."

Rei nodded. Both women had remarkable intuition which was rarely wrong, but although neither said it, they had not felt anything negative about Kuusou Akumu.

********

The next morning, Akumu woke up to see Dr. Mizuno sitting next to her. Her instincts taking over, Akumu leapt from her bed away from the doctor and sunk into a defensive crouch. Ami blinked in surprise and Akumu relaxed once she remembered where she was.

"Forgive me, Lady," Akumu murmured.

Ami smiled. "I see your ribs have healed. How's your arm?"

Akumu walked back to the bed and allowed Ami to inspect her bandaged arm. The doctor nodded to herself as she unwound and retied the arm.

"It appears to be fine," she concluded, "but I'd like to keep it wrapped at least for today, just in case."

Akumu shrugged and headed over to the small desk to eat her breakfast. Ami watched for a moment before rising and picking up her bag.

"Someone will come to bring you to court this afternoon," she reminded her young patient. "I'll see you there."

Akumu remained silent as Ami knocked on the door to notify the guard she intended to leave. Akumu watched her until the door closed again. She finished her breakfast and headed to the window, intending to leave the palace before her afternoon appointment. She didn't trust the senshi and believed this to be an elaborate trap to catch her. She wasn't even certain that Queen Serenity existed. 

Akumu opened the window and looked out. The training ground was full of soldiers drilling in the early morning light. The thief paused for a moment to watch, laughing softly to herself as she calculated quick escapes for each maneuver they practiced. She was about to step out the window when the door behind her opened. 

"Akumu!" a familiar voice exclaimed.

The thief turned and saw Princess Usagi and her senshi-protector Hotaru standing in her room. She bowed to them both and Usagi walked up to her, smiling brightly.

"No one would tell me you were here," Usagi said. "I practically had to torture Hotaru-chan before she told."

Hotaru blushed. "You tricked me, Usagi-chan."

Usagi smiled and winked at Akumu. The princess then noticed the open window. "Were you cold, Akumu-chan?"

"Uh, no," Akumu stammered, "just getting some fresh air."

Usagi's smile brightened. "You're having lunch with us this afternoon. I can't wait! Maybe Mama will let us play in the gardens after. Have you been out of your room yet?"

"I was injured," Akumu said. 

Usagi's eyes widened. "Oh no! No wonder no one told me you were here. Are you okay? What happened?"

Akumu couldn't help but smile as the princess fussed over her. She looked back over her shoulder to the still open window and for the first time, doubts filled her mind. Maybe the queen was real and did want to talk to her. Maybe it was time she took responsibility for her crimes. Maybe everything would turn out just fine.

********

Akumu stood nervously outside the two large doors leading into the throne room. She could hear the muted sounds of conversation on the other side and she wondered what they were talking about. She was beginning to reconsider escaping when she heard the conversations die down and another voice speak loudly and clearly.

"Announcing Kuusou Akumu, resident of Crystal Tokyo."

The two large doors open and Akumu saw the throne room for the first time. It was very long with a red carpet running from the door to the far end where the King and Queen sat waiting for her. The courtiers, nobles, and officials all lined the carpet, eager to see the girl who had saved their princess. Taking a deep breath, Akumu started down the aisle, keeping her head high. She walked straight to the throne, not looking at the courtiers or listening to their startled gasps and whispered comments. She reached the dais where the thrones rested and curtseyed deeply.

"Your Majesties," she said without rising.

Queen Serenity motioned for Akumu to stand and the girl did so, her eyes wide with awe at the woman seated before her. Queen Serenity was the stuff of legends, dating to a hundred years ago when she was just a school girl battling evil as Sailor Moon. Years later, she had used her Imperial Silver Crystal to imprison Tokyo in crystal, saving it from complete destruction. A century later, she and her senshi awoke, freed the city from its hibernation and the people had proclaimed her queen.

Akumu risked a look on either side of her and saw the arrangement of the Planetary Ladies, Serenity's most trusted friends and advisors. To the queen's left sat Lady Mercury who smiled gently at Akumu. Next to her was Lady Mars, Lady Venus, and Lady Jupiter. On the queen's right sat King Endymion and next to him sat Princess Usagi, followed by Lady Neptune, Lady Uranus, and Lady Saturn.

"Many thanks, Kuusou Akumu," Serenity said formally. "We are grateful for your help in rescuing Princess Usagi."

Akumu bowed deeply. "It was my honour," she replied.

"Court is over for today," Serenity called. She looked own at Akumu as the ambassadors and courtiers filed out of the hall. "Would you care to have lunch with me and my family?"

"Of course, Majesty!" Akumu smiled.

Serenity smiled back and headed out of the throne room, followed by Endymion. Princess Usagi came after him, but winked at Akumu as she passed. After the Ladies had filed out, Akumu headed down the hall after them.

********

The meal was delicious and Akumu ate as if she had never seen food before. Queen Serenity watched happily from the head of the long table and Endymion leaned over to whisper in her ear.

"Healthy appetite," he said. "Reminds me of someone I knew before, Odango."

Serenity hit him playfully in the arm and smiled. The King and Queen sat at the head of the table, with the Ladies and the Princess sitting in the same order they had in the throne room. A place next to Lady Saturn had been set for Akumu.

At the end of the feast, Serenity stood and walked down to the end of the table where Akumu sat, motioning for Usagi to follow her. When the queen and princess arrived, Akumu slid from her chair and curtseyed again, but Serenity waved the formality aside.

"Where do you live, Akumu?" Serenity asked.

The thief bit her lip and lowered her head in shame. "I live in the ruins of Old Tokyo, Majesty."

Serenity nodded. "Do you like it there?"

"It's all I know, Majesty," Akumu replied. "Until Lady Uranus brought me here, I had never slept in a bed or ate until I was full."

The Ladies gasped in disbelief and Haruka crossed her arms in front of her chest and frowned. She didn't like where this conversation was heading and if she knew Serenity, her big heart was getting the best of her again.

"Would you like to go back to the ruins," Serenity asked, "or stay in the palace?"

Princess Usagi looked up at her mother in shock and Akumu lifted her head, puzzled. "Majesty?"

Serenity straightened and put on her formal look. "Kuusou Akumu, I absolve you from all your past crimes of thievery and I instate you as a lady-in-waiting to Princess Usagi."

The Ladies cheered, except Haruka. Usagi forgot herself and embraced Akumu in a giant hug. The thief smiled and gently untangled the princess from around her neck.

"Thank you, Majesty," she said, "but what does a lady-in-waiting do?"

"It means you get to stay with me and keep me company," Usagi said. "Please accept, Akumu-chan. You and I and Hotaru will have a great time together."

Akumu glanced back to the table where Lady Saturn sat. She knew that Hotaru would be a powerful enemy if she overstepped her boundaries, but the purple haired girl smiled and nodded slightly. Akumu smiled back.

"I would be honoured, Majesty," she said. "I accept."

Usagi embraced her friend again and this time, Hotaru left her seat at the table to join them. Queen Serenity smiled as her daughter lead her newest lady from the dining room, all the while chatting about what they would do together. Endymion came to join her and put her arm around his wife's shoulders.

"It will take a while to prepare her for court," Serenity commented.

Endymion kissed her gently. "You did good, Odango. Usagi doesn't get a chance to meet too many people."

Serenity sighed. "At least she had a normal childhood in the past, even if it was only momentary."

Endymion said nothing but smiled as he remembered fondly when Chibiusa had joined them in the 20th century.

********

The next morning, Akumu awoke to a new life. Queen Serenity had given her rooms that joined onto Princess Usagi's so they could always be close. The apartment consisted of a small hallway that lead into the palace itself, an enormous bedroom with a large and luxurious bed, a side room with a large desk and bookshelves, a washroom, and even a closet full of Princess Usagi's hand-me-downs until a seamstress could take her measurements. The large window in her bedroom looked out onto the eastern gardens and beyond them she could see the ruins of Old Tokyo. She didn't feel any sadness at leaving the dilapidated buildings that had once been the heart of Tokyo, although she was overwhelmed at her sudden rise in status.

The large double doors leading to her bedroom opened as she was climbing out of bed. It was a servant dressed in the standard gray uniform. Akumu greeted her, but she said nothing as she threw back the enormous draperies and let the morning sunlight fill the room. As the servant was leaving, another figure came in. It was Lady Neptune, dressed elegantly in her aquamarine gown.

"Good morning," she said. "I trust you slept well?"

Akumu bowed politely. "Very well, Lady. Thank you."

Michiru smiled. "Good. Before you being your duties to the princess, the queen has asked me to fill you in on court procedure and palace life. You will also begin your classes with Lady Mercury and your training with Lady Uranus. You will train apart from the senshi, however, with the soldiers. I hope you don't mind."

Akumu nodded. "I would rather stay away from the senshi, Lady. No offense."

"I understand," Michiru said. "In time you will get used to having us around. Remember, you've been cleared of past crimes."

Akumu nodded again and fiddled with her sling as Michiru walked over to the massive wardrobe and opened the doors. As Michiru selected a gown, Akumu removed her sling and wiggled the fingers on her left hand. 

Michiru laid out a simple white dress that was a far cry from the beautiful silver gown she had worn the night before. It was still far more beautiful than anything Akumu had ever worn before.

"Try this on," Michiru said. "How is your arm?"

"Perfect," Akumu said as she pulled the dress over her head. "A little stiff, but it works again."

Michiru frowned. She would have to remember to mention this to Ami the first chance she got. It should have taken her weeks to recover from her injuries, not three days.

The dress was a little big, but not noticeably and Akumu waited for her next instructions. Michiru clapped her hands and five servants came in with a small table, two chairs, and a tray of food. Akumu eyed the tray hungrily and licked her lips. As the servants left, Michiru motioned for the girl to sit.

"The first lesson will be over breakfast," Michiru said as she sat across from Akumu. "It will be the proper way to eat. Normally, we eat in private but for special court occasions when we entertain visitors, it is important to have proper manners."

Akumu sighed as Michiru talked, trying to pay attention to everything the woman said. It seemed being a lady-in-waiting would not be as much fun or as easy as she had originally anticipated.

********

That afternoon, dressed in shorts and a t-shirt, Akumu joined about thirty young men for their daily exercises. Lady Uranus, dressed in the uniform of a male guard, stood in front of her class. Akumu stood in front, ignoring the snickers from the men around her.

As the exercises wore on, Akumu soon won the respect of every man in the arena. She bested their best at hand-to-hand combat and ran circles around them when they raced. Haruka pushed the girl to her limit, making her do activities she normally reserved for the senshi, but Akumu excelled at them. By the end of the session, she was exhausted but felt great.

"It's no wonder I've having such a hard time with the crime rate," Haruka yelled to the panting soldiers. "One small thief, barely more than a child, has beat you all. You will now be required to do additional training in the evenings until someone is strong enough to defeat this girl."

The soldiers groaned and a few of them shot dirty looks at Akumu. She blushed and lowered her head, muttering curses as Lady Uranus under her breath. Still, it felt terrific to know that she was better than the palace guards, incase her life as a lady-in-waiting turned sour.

As the soldiers filed out of the training arena, Akumu felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned to see Lady Uranus standing behind her, her face expressionless. Akumu bowed, like Michiru had taught her, and the faintest of smiles appeared briefly on Haruka's face.

"Good work," she said.

Akumu blinked in surprise, but Haruka was gone. She smiled to herself. The unbreakable, undefeatable Lady Uranus had congratulated her! Feeling quite proud of herself, she left the arena to shower and change before her next lesson.

********

Akumu sat on her bed, waiting for someone to show up. Lady Neptune had left several books for her to read, but after struggling for an hour on a single page, Akumu had given up in frustration. She heard the door open and she leapt to her feet, eager to do something. As Lady Mercury stepped into view, she curtseyed politely. 

"Good evening," Ami said. "How are you feeling?"

"Tired, Lady," Akumu replied honestly. "Lady Uranus had me jumping through hoops this afternoon."

Ami smiled. "I hope she didn't discourage you from exercise."

"Not at all," Akumu said. "She actually congratulated me!"

"I see your arm has healed," Ami said, coming closer. "May I look at it?"

Akumu nodded and Ami examined her, checking her shoulder and ribs. It was as if they had never been injured. Ami pursed her lips in thought.

"It's remarkable," she said finally. 

Akumu shrugged. "I've always been a fast healer. It's how I survived in the ruins."

"Tell me, who are your parents?" Ami asked.

"I don't know," Akumu replied, bowing her head. "I've been alone for as long as I can remember."

Ami blinked in surprise. "Even as a baby? No one took care of you?"

Akumu shook her head. "Not that I recall."

"Very strange," Ami murmured. She looked over to the stack of books and smiled. "You like to read?"

Akumu bit her lip. "I don't know how."

"Can you write?" Ami asked.

Akumu shook her head and lowered her head in shame. Ami put her finger under Akumu's chin and raised the girl's head. Akumu saw the warm smile on Lady Mercury's face and suddenly didn't feel quite as embarrassed. 

"Well, I was going to teach you a bit of history to bring you up to Usagi and Hotaru's level, but I think we'll save that lesson until you can read the textbook for yourself."

Ami walked into the small study and Akumu followed. Ami sat her down at the desk and put the book in front of her. Together, they worked into the night teaching Akumu to write and read.

********

The next day, after her morning etiquette lesson with Michiru and her afternoon exercises with Haruka, Princess Usagi came into Akumu's room. The thief was puzzling over a book Ami had left when Usagi entered, knocking on the study door. Akumu leapt to her feet and curtseyed when she saw who it was.

"Stop that," Usagi said.

Akumu stood up, confused. "Highness?"

Usagi sighed. "I should have got to you before they did. They're training the fun right out of you."

Usagi walked over to where Akumu stood and looked her in the eye. "When we're not in court, we're friends. I call you Akumu-chan and you can me Usagi-chan. The only time we have to be formal with each other is when we're in the throne room or with my parents, okay?"

Akumu smiled. "Okay, Usagi-chan."

The princess smiled back. "Great. Let's go play. I'm supposed to give you a tour of the palace while Hotaru-chan is in court with my parents, but instead we can go explore the north-east wing."

"What's in the north-east wing?" Akumu asked as she followed Usagi into the hallway.

"Absolutely nothing," the princess replied. "It was partially destroyed when the Dark Moon Clan attacked a few years ago and Mother hasn't had the time to rebuild it yet. We're not supposed to go there since it's out of the Shield, but the quartet and I play there all the time."

"The quartet?" Akumu asked.

Usagi giggled. "I keep forgetting you haven't met everyone yet. Remember when I ran into you I said my protectors were looking for me?"

"Yeah."

"The quartet were my protectors," Usagi explained.

Akumu laughed. "They did a good job."

Usagi smiled. "They mean well, but sometimes get caught up in the moment."

The two girls, still laughing, slipped down a deserted corridor and into the abandoned north-east wing of the palace. The door closed silently behind them, pausing a fraction of an inch away from the frame.

********

Queen Serenity exchanged an exhausted look with her husband as they listened to the squabbling of two ambassadors. They each represented neighbouring planets who where allied with Serenity's kingdom, but both wanted the help of the Crystal Kingdom in their feud before they would renegotiate their alliances. The two planets had been at war for centuries and now they looked to Queen Serenity for reinforcements to help end the war. 

"That is enough!" Serenity cried, standing up.

The two ambassadors looked at the angry queen fearfully, but they stopped fighting. Endymion hid his proud smile behind his hand.

"What was the cause of this war?" Serenity asked.

The two men blinked in confusion. The queen gave them several minutes to think about the question. 

"As I suspected," she said. "You can't remember how this started. I will not send the good men and women of the Crystal Kingdom to be killed without reason! Your planets will negotiate a peace with each other. Lady Venus and Lady Neptune will meet with the rules of each planet in one week here at the Crystal Palace and you will not be permitted to leave until peace has been reached."

The two ambassadors stared at her in shock for a moment before bowing stiffly and leaving. Still standing, Serenity addressed the rest of her court.

"We will hear no more today," she announced. "Good evening to you all."

The nobility bowed as Queen Serenity, King Endymion, and the Planetary Ladies filed out of the throne room. They headed straight to the dining room where the food was already being laid out for them. As they sat, Queen Serenity noticed her daughter and their newest lady-in-waiting were missing.

"Dear, do you know where Chibiusa is?" Serenity asked.

Endymion shook his head. "I haven't seen her all day."

"She was giving Akumu a tour of the palace while we were in court," Michiru spoke up, "but that was hours ago. I expected her to be done by now."

Serenity nodded. "She knows that we eat at this time. If she wants food, she'll come."

The other members of the nobility agreed, but the queen kept an eye on the clock despite her confident words.

********

"It's time for dinner," Chibiusa said.

The girls were tired and dusty after exploring the multitude of rooms in the abandoned wing. Akumu tried to brush some of the dust off her white dress and realized she should have changed before going exploring with the princess. Chibiusa noticed and smiled.

"Don't worry," she said. "Wash your hands and face, change your dress, and brush your hair. Mother won't notice at all."

Akumu smiled. "I hope you're right, Usagi-chan."

They headed for the corridor that would bring them secretly back into the palace when a huge shadow stepped in front of them, blocking their only path. Chibiusa gasped in surprise as the shadow became clear in the fading light. The creature was at least seven feet tall and very bug-like, with huge pincers on its face and claws instead of hands. It reached out to snap the two girls in half.

"Princess!" Akumu cried, pushing Chibiusa clear.

The claws missed them but managed to tear Akumu's dress as they rolled away. The thief sprang to her feet and picked up a large rock. With all her strength, she threw it at the bug monster but it bounced off its hard shell. Chibiusa stood and drew out her locket.

"Moon Prism Power, Make-Up!" she cried.

Akumu stared in shock and disbelief as her friend transformed into a sailor senshi. She wore a pink uniform with her locket clasped to the front of her bow. 

"Get lost," Sailor Moon said. "I'm back in my time and I've been working hard in the past to fight creeps like you! In the name of the Moon, I'll punish you!"

Akumu stood back and watched as Sailor Moon twirled her scepter and faced off against the monster.

"Pink Sugar Heart Attack!" she cried.

Dozens of small hearts pelted the monster. It cried out in pain but kept moving forward. Akumu yelled at Sailor Moon to get out of the way and tossed a few more rocks at the creature. The monster didn't slow and caught Sailor Moon around the waist, lifting her from the ground. Akumu could only watch helplessly as her only friend was thrown across the room like a rag doll. She hit the far wall and lay still, part of the ceiling falling on her. The monster then turned and advanced on Akumu.

********

The nobility finished their meal and still the princess and Akumu had not arrived. Queen Serenity took a deep breath to calm her rising worries and turned to her friends.

"Mako-chan, Minako-chan, will you please go look for Chibiusa?"

The two women nodded and left the dining room. Serenity stared at the empty chair where her daughter normally sat and sighed. Endymion put a comforting hand on his wife's back and the other Ladies exchanged worried looks.

********

Lady Jupiter and Lady Venus began their search with the two girls' rooms. The questioned all the servants they met, but none of them had even seen the girls that day. They quickly searched the hallways, growing more anxious with each passing moment, until they passed the closed corridor that lead to the abandoned north-east wing.

"Look at this," Makoto said, pointing to the door.

It was slightly askew. Minako sighed. "I thought we told her not to go in there."

"She's just like Usagi," Makoto commented as she opened the door. "She never listens to reason."

Suddenly a scream from the other end of the corridor sounded. The two women darted down the hall, transformation pens in hand, expecting the worst.

********

Akumu placed herself directly between Sailor Moon and the monster, armed with more pieces of fallen debris. The princess had woken up but was trapped beneath the piece of fallen ceiling and could not move. The bug-monster advanced, its pincers snapping hungrily.

"Back off!" Akumu snarled, throwing more rocks.

The monster ignored both her and the attacks. As Akumu's anger grew, a white light surrounded her and she began to glow. Her hair lifted from her shoulders and her entire body lifted from the ground until she floated a foot in the air. Sailor Moon stared in disbelief. The monster kept coming and reached out with one claw for the princess.

"No!" Akumu yelled.

"Princess!" Jupiter and Venus gasped from behind the monster.

Before the two older senshi could react, Akumu exploded in white light. Her entire body glowed black and tiny pinpricks of white light, almost like stars, swirled around her. Sailor Jupiter and Sailor Venus froze in shock and the bug-monster tilted its head in confusion. The blackness faded and in Akumu's place floated a sailor senshi.

The senshi was dressed in a light gray uniform with a pale blue gem in her tiara and a yellow star on her choker. She said nothing, but kept her eyes closed and pointed to the bug-monster. Suddenly the room was filled with hundreds of white ghostly figures, coming out of the walls and the floor. The bug looked around in fright, screaming shrilly and clapping its pincers together as the ghostly forms converged on it. The figures swarmed the monster, and it cried out a final time before disappearing completely. Then, the light was gone and the senshi disappeared along with the ghosts. Akumu fell to the ground.

Sailor Jupiter and Sailor Venus ran into the room and to Sailor Moon's side. They moved the piece of fallen ceiling off the girl and helped her to her feet. She was uninjured, but look over at Akumu as she changed back into Chibiusa. The trio knelt next to the unconscious girl as she stirred and opened her eyes.

"What happened?" she whispered.

"You saved me," Chibiusa said. "You're a senshi."

Akumu's eyes widened in fright and she struggled to her feet. "No! I can't be! It's impossible!"

Venus smiled. "Welcome to the group."

Akumu shook her head, turned, and ran from the abandoned wing. Chibiusa stood and tried to go after her, but was too weak from the battle and fell midstep. Jupiter caught her and Chibiusa reached out pleadingly to Akumu's retreating back.

"Akumu!" she cried. "Wait!"

The thief didn't stop and Chibiusa collapsed into Jupiter's arms, crying. The senshi rose to her feet, still cradling the sobbing princess, and carried her back to the palace.

********

Queen Serenity sent a search party around the palace grounds to find Akumu after visiting her distraught daughter. Even Sailor Uranus joined the hunt, and Princess Usagi sat in bed with her mother. Hours later, reports came back saying Kuusou Akumu had disappeared without a trace, even from the ruins of Old Tokyo. Endymion had ordered the guards on the eastern walls doubled and sent patrols into Old Tokyo, saying the girl should be taken without injury.

As Serenity comforted her daughter, the Planetary Ladies assembled in the common room. Makoto and Minako had told them about Akumu's surprising transformation and her reaction. 

"I'm not surprised," Michiru commented.

"That she's a senshi?" Rei asked. "How could you possibly have known that?"

Michiru shook her head, "No, her reaction. She hates the senshi. She feels we've been hunting her her whole life."

Ami nodded. "Yes, that would explain the negative response. But the question remains how could she be a senshi at all?"

"Yeah," Minako spoke up. "All the planets are present and accounted for."

"Except the Sun," Rei added softly. 

The senshi quieted. Time had eased the pain of Deruku Kami's tragic life and death, but the memory remained. None of them could explain why they were constantly being reborn while Kami had simply died. 

"She definitely didn't look like Sailor Sun," Minako said.

"And the attack she used was like nothing I had ever seen before," Makoto added.

"I guess it will remain a mystery until we find her," Rei concluded.

"If we find her," Michiru said quietly.


	2. Attack

ATTACK

Akumu ducked behind a pile of rocks as another patrol of soldiers marched by. She waited until she could no longer hear them, barely daring to breath, before she ran from her hiding place into a deserted building. Inside was dark and damp from the recent rainfall and Akumu quickly blended into the shadows.

The patrols in the ruins of Old Tokyo had doubled since she had escaped from the palace two weeks ago. Akumu pressed herself against the cool wall, trying unsuccessfully to block the memories of that night, when she had become her worst nightmare. She could feel the power within her, threatening to burst free any moment she felt herself in danger. It took all her concentration to hold it at bay.

"Well, well, well," a voice from the darkness said. "Who do we have here?"

Akumu turned and saw a man standing to her right. He wore rags, like most of the people from Old Tokyo, and smiled menacingly at her. She glanced down at her own dress, the one she had been wearing when she fled the palace. It was dirty and in tatters. The man's eyes narrowed as he looked over the girl.

"Wait a moment," he said. "You're the one whose been making our lives miserable! You're the cause of those patrols that the palace keeps sending!"

The man advanced, his voice growing more angry with each step. Akumu backed up in fear, the power within her bubbling up in anticipation.

"I should turn you in," the man continued. "I haven't had a decent night's rest since those soldiers came here. I haven't had a good meal either!"

Akumu closed her eyes and swallowed hard, trying in vain to keep her power in check. She hated to unleash it on this man, but there was little she could do to control it.

"Every time I grab some food, a patrol walks by!" the man snapped, gesturing wildly. "Do you know"

The man trailed off in fear as Akumu's eyes opened. Instead of the terror he expected to see, the once brown eyes were pure white. The man scrambled back, stammering apologies and Akumu's eyes narrowed slightly. The man was thrown backwards, the wall behind him exploding before he struck it and he was thrown clear through. 

Akumu squeezed her eyes closed and took deep breaths until the power subsided, leaning heavily on the wall. She felt weak and sick to her stomach and when she opened her eyes, she felt like throwing up. The back wall of the building was completely gone and the man was no where to be seen. In the distance, she heard the thumping of soldier's boots and she ran from the building. 

As the patrol rounded the corner to investigate the explosion, Akumu disappeared over the rooftops.

******

Sailor Uranus dashed down the street, rounding the corner and coming to the partially destroyed building. The dust had not yet settled by the time she arrived and the patrol that had beat her there was still looking for the cause of the explosion. 

Sailor Neptune appeared behind her partner, her blue eyes surveying the scene. 

"She's getting stronger," Neptune remarked.

Uranus grunted, her eyes scanning the rooftops. She jumped effortlessly from the ground to the roofs, Neptune a split second behind her. The maze of buildings was void of human life.

"We have to find her before she destroys the city," Uranus muttered. "Why can't she see how dangerous she is?"

Neptune looked down at the damaged building. It was clear that whatever Akumu was the senshi of, she would be a force to be reckoned with.

******

Akumu collapsed from exhaustion at the far end of Old Tokyo. Tears streamed down her cheeks and her hands balled into fists as her guilty mind played over the events of that morning. The man had been right. It was her fault the patrols had increased. It was her fault that he and many others were going hungry. It was her fault that many of her kind were now sitting in the palace dungeons. 

Akumu reached into her pocket and pulled out the battered piece of paper she always carried. It was the note Usagi had given her after their first meeting. She could read it now, thanks to Lady Mercury and her few lessons, but the message was already committed to memory. 

"You're a true friend," Akumu repeated the words softly.

She looked up at the Crystal Palace, rising high above the other crystalline structure of Tokyo and wondered what Usagi was doing now. She hated herself for running, but she hated what she was becoming even more. She wished there was some way to be free of this terrible curse.

"There is."

Akumu stared in shock into the growing shadows, wiping the tears from her cheeks. Nothing moved in the darkness, but she had clearly heard a voice answer her unspoken question.

"Your power could be something else, something you want it to be," the shapeless voice continued.

"Who are you?" Akumu demanded.

A form materialized from the darkness and Akumu felt her protective force stirring again. The person was a woman with long, thick purple hair and black eyes. She held a feather fan in one hand and had an upside down black crescent on her forehead.

"I'm a friend," she replied. "A friend you could use. I can teach you to control your power, to use it when you want to."

Akumu nearly cried out in pain as the power surged to the surface. She had never felt it this strongly before, but she didn't trust it. It came from the senshi, after all. 

"How can I control it?" Akumu asked.

The woman held out her hand. "Come with me. I can show you all you need to know. I can make you more powerful than even you can imagine."

Akumu rose to her feet and reached out her hand when suddenly, her power broke free. She cried out and jerked her hand back as her rags melted away and became a gray sailor senshi uniform. The purple haired woman gasped in surprise and faded back into the shadows. 

"Wait!" Akumu cried, but the woman was gone.

Her power, sensing the danger had gone, disappeared and Akumu collapsed to the ground, sobbing.

******

Ami yawned as she left her rooms. It was nearly four in the morning as she headed down the hallways for the kitchen. The night shift greeted her sleepily and she waved the greetings aside. As she opened the door to the kitchens, she was greeting by a wonderful aroma.

"Morning," Makoto said from the stove.

"Mako-chan," Ami said in surprise. "What are you doing up?"

"Cooking," she replied. "What does it look like?"

Ami laughed. Apparently she wasn't the only one who worked in the wee hours of the morning. Makoto motioned for her to sit down and she did.

"Why are you still awake?" Mako asked as she put a plate of fresh pancakes in front of her friend.

"I was doing some research and got carried away," Ami replied, reaching for a fork.

"Not surprising," Makoto said as she sat down across from Ami with her own stack of pancakes. "What were you researching? Tomorrows lesson for Chibiusa and Hotaru-chan?"

Ami shook her head. "No. I was trying to find some background information on Akumu. Something that would tell us why she's a senshi."

Makoto nodded. "Well?"  
Ami shrugged. "There's no record of her anywhere. It's like she doesn't exist. No birth certificate, no record of relatives or parents, nothing."

"What does that mean?" 

"I have no idea," Ami sighed. "But Haruka is right. She's dangerous without training. I bet she doesn't even know how to transform into her senshi form."

"Yeah," Makoto agreed through a mouthful of pancakes. "Luna wasn't there to give her a transformation pen and tell her what to say."

"And Luna doesn't know anything about a new senshi either," Ami added. "I was talking with her last night."

"While Artemis was babysitting?" Makoto asked with a smile.

Ami smiled back. "I'm sure Diana was asleep with Chibiusa-chan. They've been inseparable for two weeks now."

Makoto shrugged. "As long as Chibiusa's okay. She was pretty upset when Akumu ran off."

Ami nodded. "I just hope someone finds her soon."

******

Chibiusa, Hotaru, and Diana walked in the eastern gardens together. The purple cat dozed in the sun on Chibiusa's head while the princess and her friend chatted. Chibiusa's Luna P ball trailed after her, a companion she hadn't needed since she had first come back from the past. 

The trio lingered near the eastern gates, listening to the idle talk of the guards and pretending to be smelling flowers. The four men at the gate didn't even notice them. 

"Ready?" Chibiusa whispered.

"I don't think this is a good idea," Hotaru whispered back.

"Too late to back out now," Chibiusa grinned. She bounced her Luna P. "Luna P Magic! Create a diversion for the guards!"

The Luna P disappeared and Chibiusa and Hotaru waited with baited breath. Suddenly, one of the guards leapt to his feet.

"Hey! There she is!" he cried.

As the four guards ran after the Luna P disguised as Akumu, Chibiusa and Hotaru snuck out of the eastern gate and into the ruins of Old Tokyo.

******

"Boring," Sailor Vesta yawned.

"Parapara hates patrolling," Sailor Pallas agreed.

The four Asteroid senshi were stationed over the northern gate that looked out to the mountains. Haruka had put them there because nothing ever happened to the north. She believed they would stay out of trouble there and could think about their roles as protectors.

Sailor Juno walked expertly along the wall, ignoring the huge drop if she fell. Sailor Ceres sat with her head cupped in one hand, staring off at the mountains.

"I wonder what Small Lady is doing," Juno said. 

"Probably playing with that new girl," Vesta replied bitterly.

"She ran away," Pallas told them. 

The other three Amazoness' sat up brightly. None of them especially liked Akumu after constantly being told that she had done their job. 

"Why did she do that?" Ceres asked.

Pallas shrugged. "Parapara thinks she got caught stealing and Queen Serenity kicked her out."

Vesta shook her head. "I doubt that."

"Hey, girls," Ceres said, staring out into the mountains.

The other three followed Ceres' pointing finger to a growing blackness on the horizon. It was sweeping toward Crystal Tokyo at an alarming rate, blanketing the landscape. 

"Uh oh," Pallas said. "Trouble."

******

Queen Serenity, King Endymion, and the Ladies were in court when the news of the attack came. A patrolman had come running into the throne room, not even waiting to be announced and had bowed hastily before the throne.

"Majesties," he panted. "From the north, a huge wave of them!"

"Who?" Endymion demanded.

"Creatures," the patrolman said. "Monsters, thousands of them heading this way!"

Serenity leapt to her feet. "Sound the alarm! Raise the Shield and prepare all able bodies for the attack!"

As the throne room cleared, Serenity turned to her husband. "Have you seen Chibiusa?"

He shook his head. "Not lately. Hotaru and Diana are missing too."

Serenity turned to Lady Uranus and Lady Neptune. "Find them, please! I have to make sure Chibiusa's in the palace before the Shield goes up."

"Usagi, we have to raise the Shield now!" Lady Mars argued.

Lady Neptune and Lady Uranus rose to their feet and bowed to their monarchs. 

"We'll stay in the city," Michiru volunteered. "We'll find her and help the people fight."

Serenity nodded. "Thank you."

As Haruka and Michiru disappeared from the throne room, Serenity, Endymion, and the inner senshi headed for the Shield room. It consisted of a large diamond shaped crystal that was strong enough to amplify the powers of the senshi into a shield that would encompass the entire palace. Serenity turned to her friends and nodded once. Her oldest and closest friends smiled grimly and held up their transformation pens.

"Mars Crystal Power, Make-Up!"

"Mercury Crystal Power, Make-Up!"

"Venus Crystal Power, Make-Up!"

"Jupiter Crystal Power, Make-Up!"

The four inner senshi took their positions with their backs facing the crystal and joined hands. Serenity watched with her husband, wishing she could join her friends once more as Sailor Moon. As keeper of the Imperial Silver Crystal, she had more to protect than just a palace. She had an entire kingdom.

"Good luck," Serenity said.

Mars winked and closed her eyes. She began to glow red, and the others glowed in their respective colours. From the crystal exploded a rainbow of energy that fell to the ground in a dome, sealing off the palace from attack. As long as the inner senshi remained strong, the shield would not break. Only Serenity's crystal could open or close a hole in the shield.

Their defenses in place, the king and queen of Crystal Tokyo headed to council to plan the defense of the rest of the city.

******

"Uh oh," Hotaru said, pointing to the palace.

Chibiusa looked back in time to see the Shield fall firmly to the ground. They were now deep in the ruins and had not yet seen a single person, palace guard or thief.

"I wonder what's going on," Chibiusa asked.

"Something huge for them to raise the Shield," Hotaru replied, her eyes on the shimmering dome. 

"We should go back to the palace," Diana said nervously.

"We can't get in now," Chibiusa said. "We'll have to stay out here and fend for ourselves until whatever is going on is over. Besides, Akumu may need us."

Diana crouched deeper into Chibiusa's hair and Hotaru frowned. She hated to admit it, but the princess was right. There was nothing they could do against the Shield. She squeezed her transformation pen reassuringly.

"Come on," Hotaru said finally. "We better find Akumu before the attack comes."

Chibiusa nodded and followed her friend.

******

Akumu ran down the streets, not caring whether or not she was seen. She had watched the Shield go down and had observed all the patrols heading to the defenses of the city. Whatever was coming would be big and she wanted no part of it.

She took to the rooftops, leaping from roof to roof faster than she could run on the ground. People were scurrying about below her, frantic to find shelter from whatever was coming. Akumu raised her head and looked to the north.

It was then she saw what was making everyone scramble.

A blanket of darkness was descending from the north, where the Dark Moon Clan had its base. Akumu's keen eyesight could make out the first wave of invaders, huge, hideous creatures that defied the laws of creation. She scanned the attack until her eyes found the leader and she gasped in recognition.

Riding on the back of a large black dragon was the woman with the purple hair. Akumu suddenly felt dirty, knowing that she had almost willingly joined the army that would soon destroy Crystal Tokyo. As the first of the monsters entered the abandoned ruins, Akumu looked around for a place to hide. It was then that she saw the familiar pink hair of the princess.

"Great," Akumu sighed. 

Leaping from the roof, she landed in front of the startled princess and Hotaru. Akumu also noticed a small, purple cat on the princess's head. Usagi nearly cried out in alarm until she realized who it was.

"Akumu-chan!" Usagi exclaimed, enfolding her friend in a hug. 

Akumu didn't hug back. "What are you doing out here?"

Usagi stepped back, hurt at her friend's angry tone. "We're looking for you."

"There's an army of demons heading this way and you're out risking your life for a thief? I bet your mother is worried sick!" Akumu cried.

Usagi lowered her eyes, feeling ashamed. Akumu softened and put a hand on her friend's shoulder.

"I'm flattered, really," she said more gently, "but you're the Heir to this entire kingdom. You should think more about yourself."

"That's what I told her," Hotaru sighed.

Akumu smiled at her. "Well, we're out here now so we might as well make the best of it. Come on, we need to hide."

Akumu turned to lead the princess and Hotaru away when two more figures leapt from the rooftops. Akumu sighed and rolled her eyes as Sailor Neptune and Sailor Uranus landed in front of them.

"There you are," Neptune said.

"Princess, what are you doing?" Uranus demanded.

"Leave me alone," Chibiusa said. "Akumu already lectured me. I'm sorry already!"

Uranus looked at Akumu in surprise and the thief shrugged.

"Come on," Neptune said. "We better find someplace safe."

"Good luck," Akumu said. "I saw the army. We're in trouble."

As if to illustrate her point, three monsters attacked them. They resembled the bug monster in size, but each had different animal characteristics. The first was a huge wolf that snapped angrily at the girls. Next to it was a frog like monster and beside that was a feline type animal. Neptune and Uranus exchanged a knowing look for a split second and Neptune herded the three girls into a building while Uranus distracted the creatures.

"Stay here," Neptune said and returned to face the threat with her partner.

******

Hotaru watched the door while Usagi and Akumu hid in the shadows. The princess crouched next to her friend, trying bravely to hide the fear in her eyes. Akumu watched Hotaru's back as the thin girl peeked out the door. She wondered how this frail girl could possibly be the most powerful senshi of them all, the one with the ability to destroy the world. 

Suddenly, Usagi cried out and Akumu turned to see the princess staring in horror at something behind them. The thief turned and saw the frog monster that had been fighting with Neptune and Uranus sneaking in a back way. Hotaru turned as well and drew out her transformation pen.

"Saturn Planet Power, Make-Up!" she exclaimed.

As Hotaru melted into Sailor Saturn, Akumu pushed Usagi behind her and picked up a large piece of fallen wood. The senshi power within her stirred again, but she swallowed it down. The frog monster ignored Saturn completely and advanced on Akumu and Usagi.

"Stay back!" Saturn said, leveling her glaive between the monster and her friends.

The frog shot out its tongue at Saturn and caught her on the shoulder. She grunted and was knocked through the open door into the street outside. The frog kept coming and Akumu held her club at the ready. The power churned within her, begging for release, and sweat came on Akumu's brow as she fought to keep it contained. The princess saw the strain it was taking on her friend and clutched her locket.

"Moon Prism Power, Make-Up!" Usagi cried.

Sailor Moon pushed herself in front of Akumu and pointed her scepter at the frog. The monster paused, blinking in confusion.

"I'm the one you want!" Sailor Moon said. "In the name of the Moon, I'll punish you for trying to hurt us!"

The frog squatted and looked up at the small girl. Akumu could almost see amusement in his large, round eyes. Before Sailor Moon could say anything more, the frog lashed out with its tongue again and snatched the scepter from her hands.

"Hey!" Sailor Moon exclaimed. "Don't eat that!"

The frog chewed the scepter for a moment. It made a disgusted face and spat the scepter out behind it. Sailor Moon gasped as her weapon landed several feet away. The frog rose to its full height again and reached out for Akumu.

Suddenly, she could contain her power no longer and she threw her head back in pain as it exploded within her. White light shone around her and her tattered clothes melted into her senshi uniform. Her brown eyes grew white and she stared unblinking at the monster before her.

Sailor Moon watched in alarm as the gray senshi advanced on the frog creature, floating a foot above the ground. From the doorway, Sailor Saturn had managed to return to the building and was also watching the mysterious new senshi. The frog backed up in terror, croaking pitifully. It reached the scepter it had discarded and threw it at Akumu. It bounced off her and she kept moving. Sailor Moon ran to retrieve her scepter.

"Akumu-chan," Sailor Moon whispered.

The white eyes narrowed and the frog was suddenly surrounded by hundreds of white ghosts, like the bug-monster had been two weeks before. This time, Sailor Moon could hear the whispers of the phantoms, taunting and teasing the creature they hunted. As Akumu watched on, the frog became surrounded by the figures and they swarmed over him until he disappeared under a blanket of white. Seconds later, they receded back into the shadows, leaving nothing remaining of the monster.

Akumu then turned, eyes still blazing white, and stared at Sailor Moon. They gray senshi moved toward the pink haired girl and Sailor Moon backed up in fear. Saturn scrambled across the wreckage of the building to help, but was frozen with a glance from Akumu. They gray senshi floated forward until she was directly in front of Sailor Moon when she stopped. The white eyes blinked and her brow furrowed in confusion. Akumu clenched her eyes shut, fighting against the power of the senshi and collapsed to the ground, her uniform once again rags.

"Usagi-chan!" Hotaru called, suddenly free of the spell.

Saturn ran forward and hugged her friend, but Sailor Moon could only stare at the unmoving form of Akumu. A split second later, Sailors Uranus and Neptune burst into the building.

"What happened?" Uranus demanded.

"A monster got in," Sailor Moon said softly. "Akumu saved me."

Saturn exchanged a concerned look with Uranus and sighed. The elder senshi had seen what Akumu had almost done after saving Usagi from the monster. She looked down at the unconscious girl and shook her head. Like another, long ago, this one seemed to dangerous to be left alive.

The sun had set outside and all of Crystal Tokyo was bathed in shadows. Uranus looked out the open doorway and saw glowing red eyes prowling the streets.

"We'll stay here tonight," Uranus decided. "It's defensible, at least."

Sailor Moon nodded and sat next to Akumu. The blue haired thief was sleeping restlessly, moaning and tossing her head back and forth. 

"It looks like she's having a nightmare," Saturn remarked, sitting next to her princess.

Usagi said nothing but lay down next to her friend to sleep. Uranus and Neptune positioned themselves at both entrances to the building and the five isolated senshi settled down to wait for the dawn.

******

Akumu dreamed. In her dream, she saw the universe being created. It was breathtaking watching the planets and stars burst into existence from Chaos and seeing the first signs of Order being brought to the galaxy. She observed the sun being formed and the planets being pulled into their orbits, a work of Order. She saw the black holes being made, tears in space that devoured everything near them, a creation of Chaos. She witnessed the subtle battles between the two in awe. Finally, as she saw man first enter Earth, the dream shifted to something new.

She stood in a beautiful marble palace, with fountains and pillars around elaborate gardens. She realized how much this palace resembled the one in Tokyo and wondered if it was just coincidence. From her speeded up time, she saw the Moon Kingdom rise and fall, from the discovery of the Sailor Senshi to the attack of Empress Metallia and Queen Beryl and the destruction of the peaceful kingdom. Akumu felt tears in her eyes as she watched the silver haired queen, so much like Queen Serenity, sacrifice her life for the lives of her daughter and friends. She even felt a twinge of guilt for hating the senshi when she saw them fight bravely and die for their queen.

The dream changed again and time slowed to normal. She was standing in the destroyed palace on the Moon, looking at the ruins. In front of her, the Earth spun lazily on its axis, oblivious to the destruction high above. Akumu turned and saw a woman standing behind her dressed in a yellow gown that seemed to be made of pure sunlight. The woman looked very much like Lady Neptune only with brown hair and kind, brown eyes. She had an ethereal quality about her as well and a halo of golden light which shone around her like an angel's halo. Akumu bowed to her politely and the woman smiled.

"Be welcome, Kuusou Akumu," she said, her voice light and musical.

"Thank you, Lady," Akumu replied, "but who are you?"

"I am Lucis," she said, "the incarnation of Order."

Akumu narrowed her eyes to look at the woman more closely. "Forgive me, Lady, but you seem familiar."

"Once, over a hundred years ago, I was known to Earth as the Cosmic Child," Lucis explained. "I was called Deruku Kami and was a sailor senshi of the purest light and darkest evil. Now that Chaos is forever gone from Earth, I live on in my true form of pure Order."

"I am honoured, Lady," Akumu said, "but what does this have to do with me?"

"You are a warrior, Kuusou Akumu, but you chose not to accept your responsibility. You use your energy to fight the wrong thing. You are a sailor senshi and should take your place with pride beside Queen Serenity."

Akumu shook her head. "I am not a senshi and I will not become one. They are cruel and heartless."

Lucis frowned and it seemed quite out of place on her bright, golden skin. "Listen, if you will, and I will explain your position."

Akumu sighed, but settled herself down on a piece of ruined marble to listen to Lucis. The being of Light also sat down across from her and looked deeply into her eyes.

"You are dangerous if you deny your birthright," Lucis began. "Your outburst of energy are tiring on both you and the city. You will be hunted if you do not master yourself, for although Chaos is banished, it will never be completely absent. You cannot yet control your power, but you must learn. To do that, you must embrace your destiny."

Akumu crossed her arms stubbornly. "I will never become one of them."

Lucis sighed. "You must come to terms with your anger, Kuusou Akumu. It nearly cost you the life of your princess."

Akumu looked up in surprise and Lucis nodded.

"Yes, had you not managed to suppress your powers, you would have lashed out at Sailor Moon, and more than likely would have killed her. Please, learn to control yourself before you do something you will regret."

"Take away my powers, Lady," Akumu begged. "I didn't ask for them and I don't want them."

"But they are yours anyway," Lucis said firmly, rising to her feet. "Deny them at your own peril."

Akumu rose as well and gazed into Lucis' kindly face. She saw the truth behind the Lady's words and nodded. Lucis smiled and, as quickly as she had appeared, Lucis was gone. Akumu was left standing in the ruins of the old Moon Kingdom pondering the words the Lady had said.

******

Akumu woke when night still clothed the Crystal Kingdom. She sat up and saw that she slept between Usagi and Hotaru. At the doorway, Sailor Neptune dozed lightly and Akumu decided what she must do. Lucis had been right; she was a danger to them all if she stayed. She would leave, leave Tokyo all together, until she could figure out what was happening to her and stop it. 

Quietly, she stood and walked on silent feet to the doorway. She looked back once and bit her lip in sadness. Usagi was the first friend she had ever had, the only one who had ever been willing to risk her life for her. She hated to leave, but it was for her own safety. Silently, she slipped out the door.

From the shadows, Sailor Uranus rose and followed.

******

As the sun crested the horizon, the Dark army attacked again, pushing further toward the palace. Usagi and Hotaru awoke to sounds of fighting in the streets and immediately noticed that both Akumu and Sailor Uranus were gone. Sailor Neptune crouched near the door, watching.

Usagi stood and stretched. Her body ached after the fight and from sleeping on the hard ground all night, but she felt refreshed and alert. Diana, who had disappeared the night before when the attack had come, yawned and jumped to her place on Chibiusa's head.

"Where's Akumu-chan?" Chibiusa asked.

Neptune looked over and motioned for the girls to be silent. At once, Chibiusa and Hotaru dropped down low and crouched behind Neptune.

"I saw her last night," Diana whispered in Chibiusa's ear. "She woke up and left. Mistress Haruka left after her."

Chibiusa bowed her head. She had thought Akumu would be grateful they had come and rejoin them at the palace. She had never expected her friend to abandon them. Neptune turned her head to look at her charges.

"We'll leave as soon as I give the signal," she whispered. "Stay close and move fast. We'll try to reach the palace today."

Hotaru nodded and reached back for Chibiusa's hand. The princess took it wordlessly, her mind still trying to understand why Akumu had left.

Neptune suddenly rose and smiled. Puzzled, the two girls did the same and peeked out the open doorway. In the street, four figures were fighting half a dozen creatures and enjoying every second of it. 

Sailor Ceres swung toward the closest demon as if she were on a trapeze and landed on its head with a sharp kick. The monster fell and Sailor Pellas used one of her magic tricks to tie it down. Sailor Juno and Sailor Vesta were confusing their targets with elaborate flips and movements, but were managing to throw a few kicks and punches in as well. 

"Deep Submerge!"

The four senshi leapt clear as a tidal wave of water washed away the six monsters. As the Asteroid senshi landed, they looked to see where the attack had come from and saw Sailor Neptune standing in the middle of the street with Chibiusa and Hotaru.

"Small Lady!" the quartet exclaimed.

They ran to their friend and skidded to a halt as they noticed Sailor Neptune disapproving frown. Bowing, they assumed an air of formality which Chibiusa quickly dismissed by catching them all in a giant hug. 

"Where have you been?" Sailor Ceres demanded. 

"You're mother is really mad," Sailor Pallas added.

"Nice to see you again!" Sailor Juno said cheerfully.

"Where's that thief girl?" Sailor Vesta asked.

Chibiusa smiled patiently as her former protectors pelted her with questions. Sailor Neptune was looking around the immediate area for signs of further attack and Chibiusa filled in the Asteroid senshi on what had happened since she had snuck out of the palace.

"She just left you?" Ceres asked incredulously. 

"Parapara thinks we were better protectors," Pallas huffed, her arms crossed in front of her chest.

"Where's Sailor Uranus?" Vesta wondered.

The Asteroid senshi quieted and looked around for the tall, menacing senshi. Chibiusa shrugged at the question and Sailor Neptune returned from her scouting.

"We're still a long way away from the palace," Neptune said, "and the eastern gate is completely swarmed. We'll have to cut through the shopping area and get to the palace through the main gate."

"What about the Crystal Points?" Hotaru asked.

The Crystal Points were the five places where the Shield connected with the ground and were located just outside the palace walls. If any of the Points were attacked, it would be like the enemy had struck the guarding inner senshi directly. 

"The Points are well guarded," Sailor Ceres said. "Queen Serenity put her best guards out there, and reinforcements from different kingdoms have come as well."

Sailor Neptune nodded. "And where are you four supposed to be?"

The Asteroid quartet managed to look ashamed. "We were sent out to protect the citizens of Crystal Tokyo," Vesta said.

"Then, why are you in the ruins?"

"We were attacked," Juno replied, "and we couldn't let them get away."

"Is Parapara in trouble?" Pallas asked in a meek voice.

Sailor Neptune rolled her eyes. "Get back to your posts," she ordered. "Hotaru and I will escort the princess safely back to the palace."

The quartet saluted, said good bye to Chibiusa, and leapt to the rooftops. Sailor Neptune sighed as they left and shook her head. Before either girl could ask her what was wrong, Neptune took off again at a fast paced walk out of the ruins and they had to scramble to keep up.

******

Morning's light brought Akumu to the eastern edge of the ruins, the border of Crystal Tokyo. She had successfully avoided any creatures that had been patrolling the night, although the concentration of demons at the eastern gate had been quite alarming. Once she was free of the city, she could blend into the peaceful country side to learn on her own how to control her powers. 

As she headed out of the ruins, she didn't notice the silent shadow that had been trailing her all night.

The sun was high in the sky when Akumu's luck changed for the worst. She had just gotten free of the last tumbled shacks of Old Tokyo and was heading for the country when a patrol of creatures saw her. They surrounded her, ten formless black monsters with long limbs and muscular bodies. 

As they reached out for her, her instinctive senshi powers kicked in and she exploded in white light. Her power didn't waste time forming a senshi uniform, but floated her a foot above the ground and incinerated anything that came close with white fire. Her eyes were open and deepest black against her blazing white body, and she killed six of the ten monsters before her power exhausted itself and she fell to the ground.

The last thing she saw before unconsciousness claimed her were four pairs of hairy black arms reaching to pick her up.


	3. Escape

ESCAPE

Akumu awoke to find herself in a hopeless situation. She was chained to a tree, her arms tightly bound behind her while the iron circled her body, in the middle of the enemy encampment. Around her, hundreds of monsters of all shapes and sizes were lounging in idleness before the next attack, sleeping or eating to pass the time. 

She was still tired, her hated powers having taken all her energy in an effort to save her. She was also very thirsty and she licked her dry lips. For the first time, she noticed the taste of blood on them. 

"So, you're alive," a voice beside her said.

Akumu turned her head painfully to see who had spoken. It was the purple haired woman again. She held a glass of water in one hand and sipped at it daintily. Akumu strained against her bonds to try and reach the glass, the rope that tied her wrists cutting deeply into her skin. 

The woman walked around the tree to stand in front of the prisoner. She sipped from the glass again and held it out to Akumu. As the purple haired woman tipped the contents of the glass into Akumu's mouth, she gulped it down greedily as if she had never tasted water before. When it was empty, the woman threw the glass over her shoulder and out of sight.

"A pretty performance you put on," the woman continued. "For someone who hates their power and would do anything to be rid of it, you do use it quite often."

"That is never my choice," Akumu replied. 

"An instinct?" the woman asked. "How curious. That would explain why you senshi are so hard to kill."

"I'm not a senshi," Akumu told her.

"Is that so?" the woman asked. "I offered you a place by my side and you attacked me, dressed as a senshi."

"It is not my choice," Akumu repeated. "The power controls me and does what it will."

The woman leaned forward until her face was inches away from Akumu's. Although still weak, the senshi power inside her began to flare up again. 

"I offer you the choice again, then," she said softly. "Join me and I will teach you to use your gift in a way no senshi would dare. Refuse me, and you will die chained to this tree."

"I may not be a senshi," Akumu said through clenched teeth, "but I will not allow my city to be destroyed."

For the first time, Akumu released the power herself. The chains melted away as Akumu began to glow white. With a frown, the woman disappeared but her army of monsters noticed the escape.

In her weakened state, Akumu could not fight off the dozens of creatures who charged at her. She managed to destroy several before her power left her, feeble and defenseless, and she sank to the ground and into unconsciousness once more.

*******

The next time Akumu awoke, she was lying on her back next to a small fire. Her wrists had been bandaged where the ropes had cut her and a thin blanket covered her body. It was night and the crescent moon shone high in the starless sky. Akumu pushed herself into a sitting position, feeling her strength return and looked around for her saviour. 

On the other side of the fire, staring her right in the eyes, was Sailor Uranus. The elder senshi had a few cuts and bruises on her arms and face but remained silent. 

"You saved me," Akumu said, her voice the only sound in the still night. "Thank you."

Sailor Uranus waved the compliment aside. "Nevermind that. What did Abyss say to you?"

"Abyss?" Akumu asked.

"The woman you were talking to."

Akumu nodded. "She told me to join her or die. I refused."

Uranus said nothing. Akumu bit her lip in the awkwardness of the silence and prepared herself to lie down to sleep when Uranus spoke again.

"Why do you hate the senshi?"

Akumu sat up again and a sardonic smiled formed on her mouth. 

"You of all people should not have to ask that," Akumu said. "You have hunted me and others like me my entire life. You are the reason we starve or freeze or rot in jail."

"I try to keep order in the city," Uranus said in her own defense. "You break that order."

"What do you know about order?" Akumu demanded. 

Uranus lowered her head slightly. "Plenty," she replied. "I have been fighting since I was sixteen years old. In all that time, I never questioned my mission, my destiny. I was proud to be a senshi and to fight evil in all its forms."

"You think I'm evil?" Akumu asked.

Uranus shook her head. "You steal, but only to survive. There are a few others like you, who steal only what they need, but there are far more living in Old Tokyo who steal because they like to. For them, it's not about survival. Those are the thieves that I send to rot in jail."

Akumu blinked as the fire spat noisily. She knew the senshi were not bad people, but she could not overcome her prejudice that easily.

"My first memory," Akumu said finally, breaking the silence, "is of a senshi coming into the house I was living in and taking away the woman who was feeding me."

Sailor Uranus lifted her head in surprise. She had never heard of a senshi breaking into a house to take a criminal away.

"I told Lady Mercury I had no memories of anyone caring for me when I was a child," Akumu continued. "I lied incase it had been her that night long ago. I was only four or five years old when it happened, so I don't remember that much. Karasu Sentou never did anything to deserve it."

"No senshi has done such a thing in Tokyo," Uranus assured her. "I would have known."

Akumu brushed aside the reassurance. "I know. I don't want to became that senshi, the one who forced me to live on the streets."

Sailor Uranus was silent for a few minutes. "Being a senshi is a great honour and responsibility. It's up to you how you use the gifts you've been given. Whoever took your guardian abused their right to wear the senshi uniform."

Akumu nodded, suddenly tired from the day's activities. She bid Uranus good night and lay down. The senshi stayed awake, however, pondering the strange tale she had been told.

*******

The sun was cresting the horizon when Akumu next opened her eyes. With a refreshing stretch, she sat up and looked around the lightened landscape.

Sailor Uranus had carried her far from the enemy camp, and far from the city as well. They were in the foothills of the mountains that circled Crystal Tokyo and, as Akumu rose to her feet, she could see the city below her. She turned back to the campsite and noticed for the first time that Sailor Uranus was nowhere to be seen. The small fire that had warmed them last night was reduced to ash and the only trace of the elder senshi was a flattened area of grass where she had slept. 

An explosion sounded below her and Akumu turned her attention back to Crystal Tokyo. A tall pillar of smoke rose into the morning air and the thief's keen eyesight could make out the hundreds of black demons that destroyed her city. A tear came to her eye. Tokyo was her city as much as anyone's and she could not stand to watch it be demolished. As she turned her back to the scene, she saw Sailor Uranus standing by the cold fire.

"You would rather stand idly by and let Crystal Tokyo be reduced to dust?" Uranus asked. "Are you so afraid of yourself that you'd let your home be destroyed."

Akumu bowed her head. Uranus walked up to her and turned her roughly to face the city once more. Akumu kept her head down, concentrating on the grass beneath her feet.

"Look," Uranus ordered.

Slowly, Akumu raised her head. She could almost hear the screams of the innocent people as Abyss' army ripped apart their homes. The Shield that covered the palace shimmered almost beautifully in the morning light, but the carnage of the attacks was everywhere else.

"I . . . can't," Akumu said, turning away again.

"You have the power to stop this!" Uranus almost yelled. "What would your guardian think of you if she saw you like this, too afraid to know yourself, running away from something inside you."

Akumu bit her lip, tears running freely down her cheeks. "I want to help," she cried softly, "but I'm afraid of what I'll become."

Uranus softened. She was bad at moments like this, usually leaving them to her counterpart. She wished Neptune was beside her, holding her hand and soothing Akumu with gentle words. Swallowing her pride, Uranus put her hand on Akumu's shoulder.

"You will only become what you want to," Uranus told her. "The other senshi will always be here for you, too. You have nothing to fear from us, and you have nothing to fear from me."

Akumu looked up into Uranus' eyes and saw the truth reflected there. She remembered her dream of the end of the Moon Kingdom and saw the senshi dying to protect their home. She remembered Lucis and her words of responsibility and destiny. Finally, Akumu knew she could run no longer. She nodded slowly.

"I will become a senshi," she said. 

Uranus smiled. Before the older woman could speak, Akumu began to glow white again. This time, the thief didn't fight the power, but let it consume her, becoming a second skin. Uranus stepped back as the glow increased and was forced to look away as it approached blinding intensity. 

When Sailor Uranus looked back again, Akumu was gone.

*******

King Endymion slammed his fist on the desk in disgust. The battle had been raging around them for nearly four days and the combined armies of the Crystal Kingdom were failing. They had already taken far more casualties than they should have and without Lady Mercury's expert touch, many were taking too long to heal. 

"What does she want?" Endymion whispered, staring at the map of Tokyo where all the monsters had been sighted.

Queen Serenity stood next to her husband, her hands clasped in front of her in worry. As Guardian of the Earth, the weight of the attack fell most heavily on his shoulders and there was little she could do to comfort him. 

She turned her head to stare at her four immobile friends, their life energy pouring into the Shield that protected them. They were like statues, chins up, eyes closed, and hands joined together. Serenity thought back to the days of their youth, laughing and fighting together. She sometimes wished she had never passed her role as Sailor Moon to her daughter. 

"We need to drive them from the city," Endymion murmured.

Serenity put her hand gently on Endymion's. He looked up at her. 

"I could use the Grail," she said.

Endymion looked at her in shock and Luna and Artemis broke off their private conversation at the other end of the table.

"Don't be silly, Usagi-chan," Luna said. "Using the Grail will probably kill you and the main force of the monsters still hasn't attacked."

Endymion took his wife's hand into his own and smiled into her eyes. "Luna's right, Usako. Don't risk your life unless it's absolutely necessary."

Serenity sighed. "You're right, Mamo-chan, but I hate sitting here doing nothing while my people fight."

"You are doing something," Artemis reminded her. "Your strength keeps the city strong."

"And don't forget that Michiru-san is coming with Chibiusa and Hotaru," Luna said. "You have to make a rip in the Shield to let them in."

Serenity nodded. She straightened and squeezed Endymion's hand. "I won't give up."

The other three smiled. 

"Great," Artemis said. "Now, help us figure out where to put the reserve troops that were just sent from the outer border."

As the four poured over the map, a soldier burst into the room and told the royal couple that Princess Usagi had been sighted.

*******

Sailor Neptune carried the injured princess in one arm while Sailor Saturn stumbled along behind, exhausted. The main gates were in sight and in a few minutes, Neptune could leave the two girls in safety and search for Sailor Uranus. The tiny kitten Diana was the only one who seemed unaffected by the recent battles and perched on Saturn's shoulder as a lookout for more demons.

Their last fight had been brutal. It had started out with Neptune facing three creatures alone and safely hiding Chibiusa and Hotaru in an alley. While Neptune had been battling, a nearby explosion caused the buildings on either side of the alley to collapse, trapping the two girls inside. To make matters worse, as Neptune dug them out, they were attacked again. Hotaru was forced to transform and guard Neptune's back as she searched the rocks for the princess. The elder senshi was amazed that Diana had come out unharmed.

As the trio drew closer, Neptune could see Queen Serenity standing just inside the Shield, looking out with worry at her daughter and friends. Sailor Neptune tried to smile encouragingly when a dark shadow was cast over them. She looked up and saw the underbelly of an enormous black dragon. Quickly, Neptune ran to the nearest building for shelter, dragging Saturn behind her. They crouched in the doorway of the crystalline store and watched the dragon settled on a rooftop.

"People of Crystal Tokyo," the woman who rode on the dragon called. "Welcome to the dawn of a new dynasty!"

Serenity stared in surprise from the main gate at the woman with the purple hair. She looked back to where her daughter lay in Neptune's arms and wished she could join them.

"I am Abyss, rightful Queen of Crystal Tokyo," the woman continued. "I have come to reclaim my throne, which was taken from me by the one you call Serenity."

Serenity's eyes narrowed and she frowned in frustration. The Imperial Silver Crystal glowed in her hands. If Abyss saw her there, she took no notice as Serenity turned on her heel and headed back to the palace.

"Bow to your true Queen," Abyss ordered.

"I don't think so," a new voice said.

Abyss looked down and saw two senshi standing in defiance before her. Sailor Neptune smiled at Sailor Uranus for a split second, happy to know her partner was okay. Uranus squeezed Neptune's hand and the duo faced off against Abyss. From the doorway, Chibiusa and Saturn watched.

Abyss laughed. "The two invincible senshi. I have heard many stories about you."

Uranus flipped her hair and held up her hand. "World Shaking!"

The building the dragon perched on collapsed in the attack and the giant beast squawked in alarm as it fell. When the dust settled, the dragon was still alive and it lay on the ground. Abyss, however, had leapt free at the last moment and stood on a neighbouring rooftop.

"Deep Submerge!" Neptune called.

The water attack missed Abyss as she jumped again and landed in front of the two senshi. The three of them crouched in their defensive positions, each waiting for the other to strike first.

"Hold it right there!" 

The two senshi and Abyss turned to the palace to see who had spoken. From the shadows of the main gate, a figure with two enormous wings stood silhouetted. As she stepped forward, she began to speak.

"No one has the right to demand the property of someone else. I am the Sailor of Love and Justice, Sailor Moon! On behalf of the Moon, I'll punish you!"

"Mama?" Chibiusa gasped. 

Eternal Sailor Moon stepped free of the gate and Neptune and Uranus ran to her side. 

"What are you doing?" Uranus hissed.

"Protecting my kingdom," Sailor Moon whispered back.

Abyss smiled. "So you're the infamous Sailor Moon. I thought you were a lot smaller."

Eternal Sailor Moon glared at her enemy. "Go home, Abyss."

Abyss opened her arms and smiled. "I am home."

The purple haired woman opened her feather fan and smiled wickedly. Spinning around, she used the fan to hurl sharp, purple spikes at the tree senshi before her. They managed to dodge them, but one ripped through Eternal Sailor Moon's wing. 

"Try avoiding this," Uranus muttered, drawing out her talisman. "Space Sword Blaster!"

Abyss did avoid it, but the dragon behind her wasn't so lucky. It screamed as the attack hit its nose, but did little damage through the thick scales. Sailor Moon drew out her scepter.

"Starlight Honeymoon Therapy Kiss!" she cried.

The attack struck true and Abyss doubled over in pain. The trio waited for a second while their enemy was bent over and Sailor Neptune drew out her mirror.

"Submarine Reflection!" she yelled.

Abyss looked up and was instantly lost within the depths of the mirror. She straightened, still looking ahead and Neptune prepared the final blow. At the last minute, Abyss snapped out of it and fell to the ground as the attack soared above her. The purple haired woman laughed.

"Why bother?" she asked. "Even as we fight, my minions are destroying the Crystal Points. Soon, the Shield will fall and Tokyo will be mine."

Eternal Sailor Moon's eyes widened in horror. If the points were destroyed, the life energy of the four senshi who created the Shield would be suddenly ripped from them. They would most likely die. 

Abyss laughed as the shadows lengthened and the sun sank below the horizon. Uranus yelled in rage and charged at the woman, hitting her with her bare fists. From their hiding place, Chibiusa and Saturn cried openly, tears streaming down their faces. The Shield behind them began to flicker and fade. 

"No!" Eternal Sailor Moon screamed.

Between Abyss and the three senshi, a small glowing spark of white light appeared. It hovered a foot in the air, bobbing up and down impatiently as the sun set. When the sky had turned a deep purple, the white spark expanded, stretching up and down until it was roughly the size of a person. The senshi and Abyss stared in confusion as the white line expanded sideways and took the form of a senshi. The whiteness then faded into colour and the light disappeared and Akumu in her gray senshi uniform remained.

"Guardian of the Mind, I am Sailor Nyx, the Senshi of Dreams," Akumu announced, her eyes still closed. "By the darkness of the night, I'll punish you!"

She opened her brown eyes and stared at Abyss. The purple haired woman stared back, unafraid of the girl who had appeared before her. The gray senshi turned to Eternal Sailor Moon and the two outer senshi and bowed respectfully. As she straightened, all the colour had disappeared from her brown eyes and she looked back at Abyss.

The white eyes narrowed. "Nightmare Revelation!" she called.

The whispers began. Hundreds of them from all corners of the city. For every black demon of Abyss there were a hundred white shadows. They danced around their prey, pointing and whispering, advancing slowly until the monsters gave into their fear and the white shadows pounced. The cries of the devoured demons echoed through the city and, as Abyss' own shadows converged on her, she fled to her dragon and urged him into the sky. The injured beast obeyed and they flew into the night sky as the shadows disappeared.

Behind them, the Shield fell and Sailor Moon gasped. The Points had fallen. Sailor Nyx lifted her arms above her head and closed her white eyes. A thick surge of white light descended upon her from above and spread out in a circle through the entire city, passing through objects as if they were not there. The monsters it touched were incinerated while the common people and senshi remained unharmed. The city purged of Abyss' evil army, the gray senshi blinked and her eyes resumed their brown colour. 

"The Shield," Sailor Moon whispered.

She turned and ran into the palace, followed by Uranus and the floating Sailor Nyx. Neptune quickly retrieved Chibiusa and Saturn before following them.

*******

The new dawn shined down on the shell of Crystal Tokyo. Most of the buildings had been demolished by the attack and the survivors stumbled out of hiding to rebuild. Details of soldiers were sent as well to help with the construction and to clean up any other messes. 

In the palace, the infirmary was packed with injured soldiers. The crew normally lead by Lady Mercury scrambled to help everyone with her patient guidance. Deeper still, four woman lay sleeping encased in crystal in the heart of the palace. 

Queen Serenity stood with her daughter and husband in the Shield room, looking at the four peaceful faces of her friends. When Ami had designed this crystal, she had made Serenity put in a defense mechanism. Should the lives of the inner senshi be at risk, the crystal itself would save them from harm. Serenity had not known at the time what her friend had meant, but had agreed, trusting Ami to make the right decision. Now, as her closest and most precious friends stood in their crystal tombs, she wondered how she could free them. 

Sailor Neptune, Sailor Uranus, Sailor Saturn, and Sailor Nyx stood behind the royal family. There had been no time for sleep after the annihilation of Abyss' army and the discovery of the crystallized inner senshi. Serenity had been inconsolable all night. With the dawning of a new day, Serenity had pushed aside her grief to help her city rebuild, but she still stood on the verge of collapse as she looked at her friends. 

Hours later, Endymion dismissed the four remaining senshi and they went together to Haruka and Michiru's rooms to eat. They looked at the brown eyed gray senshi curiously and finally, Uranus spoke.

"So, Akumu," she said. "What happened to you?"

The thief swallowed. "I'm not sure. As soon as I agreed to be a senshi, you disappeared."

Uranus laughed. "No, you disappeared. Where did you go?"

Nyx shrugged. "I don't remember. It was very beautiful, though. Fountains, gardens, things like that."

"You could be describing almost anywhere in Crystal Tokyo," Saturn said. 

Nyx shrugged. Neptune sipped daintily at her tea and put the cup down.

"One mystery is solved, at least," she said. "You are Sailor Nyx, guardian of the Mind and the senshi of Dreams."

"Interesting title," Uranus remarked.

"Makes sense, I think," Saturn added. "Kuusou does mean 'daydream' after all."

_Yes_, Uranus thought to herself, _but Akumu means 'nightmare'._

Neptune looked at her partner sharply as Nyx nodded and wiped her mouth on her napkin. She sat back, pulling down on her short skirt and raised her eyes to try and see her tiara.

"I just have one question," she said. "How do I change back?"

The other senshi laughed. 

*******

In the northern mountains, on a peak overlooking the city of Crystal Tokyo, Abyss sat in silent contemplation. Her first attempt to seize the city had failed and a new senshi had been discovered. She squeezed her hand into a fist and slammed it on the windowsill in frustration. Kuusou Akumu should have joined her. The senshi who hates senshi should have been an easy target, but she had failed. 

"No matter," she told herself. "The battle may be lost, but the war rages on. There will be another chance. There is always another chance."


	4. Crystalline

CRYSTALLINE

"Ribbon Ensnare!"

As the brightly coloured ribbons snaked their way through the air to their target, the target dashed away. The ribbons paused as if they were searching for the thing they were supposed to destroy before they disappeared. The Asteroid senshi huffed in frustration as her prey settled down at a safe distance. 

"Quit it!" Sailor Vesta hissed.

Sailor Nyx smiled brightly and waved from the other end of the training arena. From the podium that overlooked the entire arena, three shadowed figures watched. 

"Parapara will get her!" Sailor Pallas declared. "Magic ball!"

Bright blue balls whizzed through the air towards Nyx. The grey senshi leapt into the air to avoid them, but they angled sharply in mid-flight to intercept her. With an alarmed gasp, Nyx forced herself back to the ground, landing in a rolling tuck and leaping to her feet a safe distance away. The blue balls smashed into the arena walls.

Sailor Nyx smiled confidently, knowing she had already proven herself in this exercise when something crashed into her side. She flew backwards, but twisted her body so she would land not on her back, but on her feet. Instinctively, she crouched to face her attacker and saw Sailor Ceres standing a few feet away. She had a smug expression on her face.

Nyx felt her untested powers welling up inside of her again, not out of fear but out of anger. Her eyes lost all colour and became milky white. The other three Asteroid senshi joined Ceres, who was not staring in horror at her opponent. 

"Uh oh," Sailor Juno muttered.

"That's enough!"

Nyx blinked, her eyes resuming their brown colour, and straightened. She and the four Asteroid senshi looked up to the podium where the three shadows stood, and bowed. Sailor Uranus stepped forward with King Endymion and Sailor Neptune a pace behind her.

"Good job," Uranus said, "all of you. Asteroid senshi, hit the shower. Nyx, stay there."

The four senshi bowed, glaring with malice at the newest senshi. They had been the favourites before, the childish senshi who had always put a smile on Small Lady's face. As they headed to the changing areas of the training ground, they saw the King talking happily with Nyx and they felt forgotten. 

"Excellent work," King Endymion congratulated the young senshi.

Akumu bowed. "Thank you, Majesty, but I still can't control my powers."

"That will come with time," Neptune said gently.

"But until you can control them," Uranus added, "don't use them in training."

"It looks to me like she doesn't need them at all," Endymion remarked.

Akumu smiled at the comment, a warm feeling of contentment spreading through her. Although the city of Crystal Tokyo lay nearly in ruins after Abyss' failed take-over, Akumu felt happy for the first time in her life. 

"Head for the showers," Uranus ordered. "I'm sure Small Lady and Lady Saturn are dying for your company."

Sailor Nyx bowed to King Endymion and the two older senshi and head off at a run for the changing areas. 

*******

The giant crystal entombed them. Four bodies, eyes closed in peaceful contemplation, hands joined in friendship, floated in the calm crystal as if they floated in water. Their heads were tilted upwards slightly as they had been in their final moments before the Shield had fallen and the security feature had kicked in. Their lives were preserved, but for how long? 

Queen Serenity sat on the cold, hard ground before them. She came here every day, begging their forgiveness. She had ordered them to this living death, she had told them to sacrifice their freedom for her safety, and they had gone willingly, blindly to their prison. The noble Queen of Crystal Tokyo bowed her head as the tears flowed freely once more. She missed them, oh how she missed them! Ami's calm reassurances, Rei's brash comments, Minako's gentle smile, and Makoto's strong support. She felt alone, isolated without them.

"Please," she whispered, raising her tear stained face to them once more. "Please, my friends, forgive me."

*******

Artemis leapt from the top of the bookshelf and landed on the table. He looked up at the stack of books higher than himself, that they had managed to pull from the shelves. Ahead, Luna was engrossed in another tome of scientific jargon that made Artemis' head spin. Next to her, curled up on a discarded book, slept Diana. 

"Any luck?" Artemis asked.

Luna sighed and shook her head. "Nothing here either. I know how the Shield works in theory, but I can't find anything to tell me how Ami-chan made it work in reality."

Artemis moved next to the black cat and scanned the page, hoping somehow to help. The words he read made no sense to him at all and he shook his head in frustration.

"I guess they don't have a 'Crystal Shield For Dummies' book," he remarked.

Luna laughed. "I doubt it, Artemis."

From the book, Diana yawned and woke. Her parents smiled down at her as she blinked her eyes sleepily and stretched.

"Have you found anything?" Diana asked.

"Not yet, kitten," Artemis said gently. 

"Maybe Lady Ami put her notes in her room," Diana remarked. "I sometimes sleep on her lap while she's writing late at night."

Luna and Artemis exchanged a glance and leapt from the table. Diana hurried to join them as they sped through the halls of the palace.

*******

Dinner was a silent affair, as it had been for the past week since the Shield fell. Queen Serenity and King Endymion sat at the head of the long table, with their daughter and the outer senshi on the King's left and five empty chairs on the right. Akumu sat next to Hotaru at the end and kept her eyes focused on her plate. The other senshi did the same, but every once in a while, Usagi would raise her eyes to her mother's face as if to speak, only to drop her eyes again. Serenity stared at her untouched food, her hand folded in her lap as the others ate. Finally, the princess could stand it no longer.

"Mama?" she said, breaking the silence. 

Queen Serenity looked over at her daughter with emotionless eyes, her face still streaked with tears. 

"Why aren't you eating?" Usagi asked.

"I'm not hungry, dear," Serenity replied.

"But you didn't eat lunch," Usagi pushed, "or breakfast, or dinner last night. Mama, I'm worried about you."

Serenity blinked in surprise and stared at her daughter. Usagi's red eyes were brimmed with tears. 

"Starving yourself won't help them," Usagi continued. "Hiding away won't help either. We need you, Mama."

Serenity opened her mouth as if to speak, but no sound came out. She turned to her right and saw the empty chairs before pushing away from the table and running from the room. Usagi rose to follow her, but Endymion calmly pushed her down.

"She needs some time," he said. "Luna and Artemis are researching the workings of the Shield right now to see exactly what happened."

"And you'll never guess what we found," Luna said.

The king, princess, and senshi looked to the end of the table and saw Luna, Artemis and Diana walking toward them. Diana proudly carried a piece of paper in her mouth and set it down in front of Endymion.

"What's this?" he asked.

"Lady Ami's notes, Sir," Diana said.

"We figured out what the safety mechanism in the Shield is," Luna explained. "The Shield uses the life energy of the four senshi to stay strong and is anchored at the Crystal Points."

"We already knew that," Haruka pointed out.

"Let me finish," Luna snapped. "Abyss managed to destroy one or more of the Points, thereby cutting off the life energy of the senshi. Ami-chan designed the Crystal to automatically seal them inside if that chain was severed so they wouldn't die. Since all four of their energies goes into the Shield, destroying one Point would be enough to kill them all."

"So, how does this help us?" Michiru asked.

"If we can restore the flow of the senshi's life energies, the Shield would be restored and the safety mechanism would be deactivated," Luna concluded.

The six humans sat in thought, absorbing what Luna had just told them. Endymion read Ami's note on the safety mechanism while Haruka and Michiru seemed to have one of those personal conversations they have without speaking. Finally, the silence was broken.

"How do we restore the flow?" Haruka asked.

"As far as we can tell," Artemis said, "all you have to do is repair the damage at the Crystal Points."

"That means figuring out which Point fell," Luna added.

"It wasn't the western point," Endymion said. "Abyss' forces didn't make it that far in great numbers and it was heavily guarded."

"They were all heavily guarded," Haruka remarked. "That leaves the northern Point, the eastern Point, and the two southern Points."

"Haruka and I will check the two southern Points," Michiru volunteered.

"I'll assemble some troops and lead them to the northern Point," Endymion agreed. "Abyss' forces are closest there."

"And Hotaru-chan, Akumu-chan, and I will check on the eastern Point," Usagi declared.

"Absolutely not!" the three adults said.

"Why?" Usagi pouted.

"First of all, you're not strong enough as a senshi to fight Abyss," Endymion began. "Secondly, Hotaru is easily weakened while she's a senshi and if anything happened, you wouldn't be able to save her."

"Thirdly," Haruka said, "Akumu does not yet have control over her powers. She could kill you all accidentally."

"I don't think I'm that dangerous," Akumu muttered.

"And most importantly," Michiru concluded, "we can't have the Crown Princess running around the city when an enemy army is camped right outside."

The three girls sulked. Even Hotaru looked upset at being left out. 

"Well, then how will you check all five Points?" Usagi asked.

Haruka and Michiru exchanged a look with Endymion. The king shrugged.

"Akumu knows the east better than anyone of us," Usagi continued. "She can help us hide if trouble comes, and we'll be near the eastern gate to the palace."

Michiru's expression softened and she reached out to touch Haruka's hand. The blond girl stared at the princess a moment longer, reading the determination in her eyes, and shrugged. Seeing his two allies collapse, Endymion sighed.

"Okay, okay," he said. "You three can go, but I'm sending the Asteroid senshi with you."

"Then who will look after Mama?" Usagi asked.

"The soldiers," Endymion said.

Usagi smiled and leapt from her chair. She enfolded her father in a huge hug and kissed him on the cheek. Endymion smiled and hugged her back.

"Thank you, Papa," Usagi said. "I won't let you down."

Endymion let his daughter go and she ran off with Hotaru and Akumu in tow. Haruka and Michiru watched the entire thing with the cats still perched on the table.

"She has you wrapped around her finger, you know," Artemis remarked.

"You're one to talk," Endymion said with a smile. "When was the last time you refused anything to your daughter?"

Artemis blushed and the group exploded into laughter.

*******

Cerecere, Parapara, Junjun, and Vesves were lounging in their rooms when there was a knock at the door. The four acrobatic girls looked at each other and smiled, glad to have a visitor.

"I'll get it!" they all exclaimed at the same time.

Cerecere launched herself from her hanging trapeze to the rope that hung by the door. Junjun leapt from her trampoline into the air and intercepted Cerecere in mid-flight. The two girls crashed to the ground as Parapara ran to the door. Vesves stood in her path, her whip snapping angrily, but Parapara merely took the tip of the whip in her hand and transformed it into a snake. Vesves dropped the snake in shock and Parapara skipped past her. As she reached out to grasp the doorknob, Junjun knocked her from behind and Cerecere swung from the rope to reach the door first. Turning back to the other three, she stuck out her tongue and opened the door.

"Small Lady!" she exclaimed, bowing.

As Chibiusa, Hotaru, and Akumu entered the room, the Amazon Quartet fell into a bow. Akumu looked around as Chibiusa greeted her former protectors. The rooms were the same as hers, only had been decorated to look like a circus ring. Trapezes and ropes hung from the ceiling, balance beams and large balls were on the floor, and Akumu thought she saw a cage in one of the back rooms. She shook her head in confusion. Clearly there was something about these four girls that no one had told her.

As Chibiusa told them about their mission, Cerecere climbed like a squirrel to perch on a trapeze, while Junjun stood on one of the large balls. Vesves was wrapping up her whip, and Parapara was playing with some dolls on the ground. Akumu inched closer to Hotaru, feeling very vulnerable in this strange circus room.

"So, we're off to the eastern Point?" Junjun said. She looked to Akumu with hard eyes. "I suppose she's going to lead us there."

Akumu felt the daggers in the green haired girl's eyes and felt the malice in her tone. Chibiusa, however, took no notice.

"We're leaving at sunrise tomorrow," the princess said happily. 

"What about Queen Serenity?" Cerecere asked.

"Papa's posting guards for her," Chibiusa answered. "She'll be fine."

Vesves frowned. "I don't think we should leave the Queen undefended. Maybe Kuusou Akumu should stay here."

Chibiusa blinked in confusion. "Why? She knows her way around the ruins better than any of us."

"How do we know she won't go running off again?" Junjun demanded.

"I could say the same thing about you four," Akumu replied.

Junjun growled angrily and launched herself at Akumu. The blue haired girl stepped to one side and easily missed the attack. Hotaru placed herself between Akumu and the Quartet.

"Take it easy!" she said. 

Chibiusa drew herself up to her full height. "I don't know what's wrong, but you four should behave better. Akumu is a senshi now so you'll all have to be friends."

The Amazonesses muttered apologies and agreements and Chibiusa smiled. 

"Great. See you guys at the eastern gate at sunrise. Don't be late!"

As the three girls left, the Quartet resumed their activities. Cerecere hung upside down from her trapeze and Junjun walked around the room on the large ball. Vesves sat dejectedly on a stool while Parapara played on, oblivious to the recent argument.

"I hate her," Junjun muttered. "I wish Small Lady had never found her."

"I wish she would run away again," Vesves added. 

"That's it!" Cerecere exclaimed. 

The other two looked up at their swinging friend in confusion. Cerecere flipped right side up and leapt from her trapeze to the ground.

"We have to make her run away," Cerecere told them. "Then we'll have Small Lady to ourselves again."

"How do we do that?" Junjun asked.

"Easy," Cerecere said. "I have a plan."

*******

Akumu slept soundly that night, having become used to the soft pillows and mattress of the bed. The curtains were closed, but a thin line of moonlight cut through the darkness of the room. Softly, the door leading to the hallway opened and four silent shadows drifted in. They tiptoed straight to the bed and positioned themselves around Akumu. 

Suddenly, Akumu woke and saw four pairs of beady eyes staring at her. Before she could do anything, a gag was shoved into her mouth and something was thrown over her head. She was pulled from her warm, soft bed and tied up in what she thought was a sack. A tiny tear near her eye was her only window to the outside world and, as her kidnappers passed the sliver of moonlight, Akumu caught a glimpse of the slender acrobatic slippers that only four people in the palace wore.

*******

The next morning, Chibiusa and Hotaru stood waiting by the eastern gate. They had not seen Akumu at breakfast, but had been reassured by Endymion that if Akumu was seen, she would be sent to them. The sun was nearly clear of the horizon and the young princess was eager to go.

"Where are they?" she asked Hotaru.

As the purple haired girl shrugged, four figures came running from the palace. Chibiusa smiled as they neared, her four protectors. The Quartet stopped short when they reached the princess and Parapara thrust a piece of paper into her hands.

"We tried to stop her, Small Lady," Junjun said.

"She was too tricky for us," Vesves added.

"Parapara couldn't catch her," Parapara said sadly.

Chibiusa blinked in surprise and lowered her eyes to the note. It was written hastily on a piece of crumpled paper.

Usagi

I'm sorry, but I can't stay. Please forgive me and don't look for me either. 

- Akumu

Chibiusa felt tears welling in her eyes. She had thought Akumu had changed after being in the mountains with Sailor Uranus. The elder senshi had thought she was different as well. Akumu had seemed so happy. 

As the princess wiped her eyes, Hotaru looked from the grinning faces of the quartet to the note. She took it from Chibiusa's limp hand and read it. 

"I guess she's made her decision," Chibiusa said. "Let's go."

The princess turned and headed for the gate. The quartet exchanged smug looks of congratulations and followed the princess. Hotaru took a last look back at the palace before following. Something wasn't quite right here.

*******

The sun was high in the sky when Akumu managed to free herself from the bag. Her kidnappers had tied it up tightly and Akumu had been forced to patiently rip away at the small tear in the sack until it was large enough for her to pass through. Now free of her prison, the newest senshi looked around the dim room to figure out where she was.

The only light came from a slit window near the ceiling and Akumu deduced that she was underground. In the darkness, she could make out shapes around her but couldn't figure out what they were. Heading for the light, Akumu found the wall and began to walk around the room in search of the door. Several times she tripped or lost her feel of the wall, but patience and persistence won out and soon her hand clasped the doorknob. 

She turned it. It was locked.

With a frustrated sigh, Akumu lifted her hands to feel around her right ear where she always hid her lock picking tools. Living in the palace hadn't broken her of the habit and she smiled to herself as her fingers found the familiar pieces of wire. Working slowly by feeling alone, she struggled with the lock until she heard the gratifying click of the lock opening. Triumphantly, she opened the door to her cell and started up the flight of stairs before her, tucking her wire safely behind her ear.

Akumu emerged blinking in the late afternoon sunlight. She stood on the outer rim of the training arena. Glancing at the door behind her, she saw it read 'Storage' and she knew whoever had kidnapped her had not wanted her to be found easily. She stood in the sunlight for a moment, still wearing only her pyjamas and no shoes or stockings. It was only then that she remembered what today was.

"Usagi-chan," she muttered to herself, fear choking her.

The princess and her protectors would be well into the ruins by now, heading for the eastern Point. Urgency pushing her forward, Akumu ran from the arena and toward the eastern gate.

*******

"There it is," Chibiusa said.

The destroyed Crystal Point blended into the ruins around it. It had once stood tall and proud, the only crystalline structure in all of Old Tokyo, and the only place where the riffraff of the ruins refused to go. Not only was the Point guarded day and night by ten soldiers, but it had a magical aura around it that kept the superstitious thieves at bay. Now, the crystal was shattered and the bodies of the guards littered the ground. Cautiously, Chibiusa, Hotaru, and the quartet crept forward.

"This place is creepier than Zirconia," Cerecere remarked.

"Colder than Nehelenia," Vesves agreed.

"Parapara doesn't like this place," Parapara whined.

"Shhh!" Chibiusa silenced them.

In silence the six girls entered the Point. Inside was as ruinous as outside. All the machinery that Ami had helped construct to work the Shield was smashed to pieces. More bodies lay inside and Chibiusa buried her face in Hotaru's shoulder to keep from looking at them. 

"What are we looking for?" Junjun asked.

Hotaru drew out a piece of paper Luna had given her. On it was a drawing of a cylinder with some wires on the top and bottom.

"This," Hotaru said, showing them the picture.

The quartet stared at it for a second before taking off in different directions to find it. They scrambled over the wreckage like mountain goats, sifting through piles of rubble as the looked. Chibiusa and Hotaru also began to look, shielding themselves from sparks that flew from the different machines that were still plugged in.

Hours past and the sun set, blanketing the ruins of Old Tokyo in darkness and still they had not found the cylinder. As the shadows lengthened, Chibiusa began to suspect that they were no longer alone.

"Is this it?" Vesves asked, holding a strange device in one hand.

"Bring it here," Hotaru ordered.

The quartet converged on Hotaru, landing with ease on the rock strewn floor of the Point. Vesves handed the object to Hotaru who then compared it to the drawing. The were identical, except the cylinder Vesves had found had a strange, colourful, swirling mass inside it.

"This must be it," Hotaru said. 

"Good," Chibiusa exclaimed. "Let's go home now."

The other five girls nodded and they headed for the door. Just before they reached it, however, a large figure blocked their path. The girls looked up in horror as they stood face to face with a black demon of Abyss. It was a huge mass of muscle covered in black scales. On its long, dragon like face, a horn grew at the end of a long nose. Two beady eyes that shimmered with intelligence looked down at the six girls. 

"Uh oh," Parapara muttered.

"Quick," Chibiusa said, "transform!"

Six hand shot into the air.

"Moon Prism Power, Make-Up!"

"Saturn Planet Power, Make-Up!"

"Ceres Asteroid Power, Make-Up!"

"Juno Asteroid Power, Make-Up!"

"Vesta Asteroid Power, Make-Up!"

"Pallas Asteroid Power, Make-Up!"

The large demon stepped back in astonishment as the six seemingly helpless girls transformed into the senshi of the Crystal Kingdom. The senshi took the momentary distraction to their advantage and slipped past the enormous creature and into the ruins. The demon turned to face them again.

"Guard the cylinder!" Sailor Moon cried out. 

Sailor Vesta nodded and, still holding the cylinder in her hands, disappeared into the ruins. The black demon roared in frustration and tried to go after her, but was suddenly face to face with Saturn's glaive.

"I wouldn't try it," Saturn warned.

"Pink Sugar Heart Attack!" Sailor Moon cried.

The tiny pink hearts proved to be less than an irritation for the giant demon and he ignored Sailor Moon completely as he tried to pass Saturn.

"Silence Glaive!" Saturn called, swiping down with her talisman.

The demon screamed in pain as the attack bit deeply into his hide, but he did not fall. The senshi were forced to retreat deeper into the ruins as the gigantic creature pursued them. The Asteroid senshi scattered and vanished, leaving Saturn and Sailor Moon to face the monster alone. 

"Hold it right there!"

The monster looked up from its prey to see a figure silhouetted in the moonlight. She held a cylinder under her arm and pointed menacingly at the demon with the other.

"Guardian of the Mind, I am Sailor Nyx, the Senshi of Dreams," Sailor Nyx called. "By the darkness of the night, I'll punish you!"

Nyx leapt from the rooftop to stand between the demon and her friends. Sailor Moon clapped her hand thankfully as Nyx thrust the cylinder in her arms.

"How did you get this?" Saturn asked.

"I'll explain later," Nyx replied dryly.

She turned back to the demon and smiled, her eyes turning a milky white. Holding out her left hand palm upward, she sprinkled some sparkly powder onto it and looked up at the demon.

"Sandman Kiss!" Nyx whispered as she blew the powder at the demon.

The monster sneezed and yawned sleepily. The three senshi watched in awe as he teetered on his feet before collapsing to the ground. Sailor Nyx opened her arms wide and held them above her head, floating a foot off the ground. Her white eyes looked down at the sleeping enemy and a small sphere of black energy appeared above her head.

"Darkness Engulf!" Nyx proclaimed.

She tossed the sphere onto the body of the sleeping giant and it was quickly absorbed by the black sphere. When the darkness retreated, the demon was gone.

"What happened to you?" Sailor Moon demanded.

"A long story," Nyx sighed. "As for the cylinder, I saw Sailor Vesta leaving it behind some rubble as I headed this way. I thought it might be important, so I took it. It wasn't a very good hiding place."

Sailor Moon sighed wearily. "I think Haruka was right. The Asteroid senshi are too flighty. Anyway, we have to get back to the palace."

"We can't," Nyx said.

"Why not?" Saturn asked.

To answer, Nyx leapt to the rooftops again and the other two senshi followed her. She pointed to the palace and Sailor Moon gasped in shock. Saturn remained emotionless, but Nyx could see the pain in her eyes.

The wall surrounding the palace had been circled by a black army that spread to the palace itself. The Crystal Palace was engulfed in flames except the principal spire where the King and Queen were trapped with the inner senshi.

"Mama," Sailor Moon sobbed. "Papa."

"There's nothing we can do," Nyx said, her voice full of regret. "The Kingdom has fallen."

"Not yet," Sailor Saturn said. "The King and Queen are still alive and if we can restore the inner senshi, they can fight from within."

"The trouble with that plan," Nyx said, "is that we have no idea how to do it."

Sailor Moon stared at her burning home and a cold determination replaced the tears in her eyes.

"We can do it," she said. "We can destroy Abyss and the Black Moon Clan once and for all."


	5. Capture

CAPTURE

The moon was high and full, providing faint light on the world below. Somewhere in the distance a wolf cried out, the only sound in the still night. Three figures huddled miserably in the shelter of a shallow cave, cold and hungry. Behind them lay the deserted city, its inhabitants hiding or in chains. The tall, dark, crystal spires of the palace no longer offered hope to those outside as menacing shadows prowled the palace's gardens. All of Tokyo had lost hope. They knew that when the Shield had fallen, so had their homes.

They had been moving for nearly a week, carefully dodging the demon patrols that searched for them. They found food in abandoned houses or in the woods but were always cold and tired. The shadow monsters were driving them steadily north, far from the captured city and toward Abyss' hideout. For now, however, the trio was safe.

Sailor Moon slept in the back of the cave, one arm thrown protectively over the cylinder that held the life forces of the inner senshi. Sailor Nyx sat at the cavern entrance, her brown eyes staring into the darkness. She heard Sailor Saturn get up and quietly sit beside her, but neither spoke for quite some time. They stared out at the stars by the faint light of the moon, enjoying the momentary rest.

Finally, Saturn turned to the newer senshi.

"Why don't you sleep?" she asked.

Nyx shrugged. "There's something about the night. It energizes me. Why are you up?"

"I can't sleep either," Saturn answered. She turned her purple eyes to the spire that marked Crystal Tokyo. It seemed so far away, almost in another life. "Do you think they're okay?"

"Who?" Nyx asked.

"The King and Queen, Haruka-papa, Michiru-mama," Saturn said, "Luna, Artemis, Diana, the Quartet"

"I don't care about the Quartet," Nyx interrupted.

Saturn looked at her friend sharply. She realized how much of their survival these past few days had been because of her. She watched Nyx for a few moments, the blue haired girl clenching her hands as she stared out into the night. 

"The Quartet seem to hate me," Nyx said finally. "I don't want to talk about it."

Saturn shrugged and looked back to the city, respecting her friend's decision. Nyx's gaze dropped to her lap where her clenched fists lay. She hadn't told either of her friends what the Quartet had done to her that day they were supposed to search the Crystal Points. She still shivered when she thought of being crammed in that smell sack and locked in the dark arena storage room. The one thing she couldn't figure out is why the four acrobatic girls hated her.

Beside her, Saturn sighed sadly. She turned back to Nyx and forced a smile.

"What are we going to do?" she asked. "None of us know how to fix the Points and we certainly can't go to the palace to ask for help."

Nyx shrugged. "I don't know, Hotaru-chan. All I know is we must keep the cylinder and Usagi-chan safe. She's the only one who can use the Crystal besides Queen Serenity."

Saturn paled at the thought of Serenity being unable to use her Crystal but nodded. Once Abyss grew tired of searching for them, they would be able to sneak back to the palace.

Nyx yawned in spite of herself and Saturn pushed her gently into the cave. Grudgingly, Nyx left Saturn to get some sleep. The purple haired senshi sat alone outside the cave, contemplating their hopeless situation.

*******

Sailor Uranus lashed out furiously at her captor, her face contorted in anger. Abyss stood a safe distance away, enjoying watching Uranus strain against her bonds. They stood in the Shield room, the four entombed senshi in the center. Abyss had chained Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune to the far wall and kept Queen Serenity and King Endymion under close guard. The three pesky cats were locked in separate cages on Endymion's desk.

As Uranus pulled herself off the wall again, Abyss laughed. She held the Imperial Silver Crystal in one hand, yet the gem was dull and lifeless. Endymion and Serenity watched silently from behind their five guards, the queen barely able to keep the worry from her face as she clung to her husband's arm. Their daughter was still out in the city somewhere and Abyss knew it. Every day Abyss made the king and queen listen as her patrols reported in, but every day Chibiusa, Hotaru, and Akumu had managed to evade capture.

A short, skinny demon entered the room and whispered something to Abyss. The purple haired woman smiled and nodded to the messenger. The skinny demon bowed and left, and Abyss turned to face the Queen. She held up the Crystal.

"Show me how it works," Abyss demanded.

Bravely, Serenity shook her head. "You could never use the power of the Crystal, Abyss."

The purple haired woman grinned, much to the surprise of the royal couple. "Maybe not, but you can, and you will show me or you may have some unnecessary deaths on your mind."

Serenity's grip on Endymion's arm tightened as the doors to the Shield room opened and four large demons entered. They each held a squirming senshi in their arms. The Amazon Quartet had returned to the palace.

The four girls kicked and struggled to be free of their captors, but the demons held them firmly, ignoring their attempts. Abyss watched for a moment, delighting in their torment, before nodding. The four Asteroid senshi were dumped unceremoniously to the ground. In a flash, they were on their feet, taking in the scene.

"Majesties!" Sailor Ceres exclaimed.

"Hey look," Sailor Juno gasped. "They got Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune, too!"

"Parapara is frightened," Sailor Pellas whimpered.

"You won't get away with this!" Sailor Vesta warned.

"BE QUIET!" Abyss yelled.

Startled, the four girls shut up. Abyss raised an empty hand above her head, her eyes never leaving the quartet. In her hand, a ball of black energy was formed and, much like Sailor Uranus' attack, Abyss slammed the ball to the ground at the Asteroid senshi's feet. They blinked in astonishment as their four guards stepped well away and the floor began to creep up their legs.

"Uh oh," Sailor Pellas said.

Abyss held out the Crystal to Serenity again.

"Show me, or your four friends will become statues," Abyss hissed.

Serenity looked torn as she watched the crystal floor rise to the Asteroid senshi's knees. Abyss smiled triumphantly, knowing the queen would never let a life be lost. The four senshi joined hands and nodded to each other grimly.

"Circus Center Ring!" they shouted.

"No!" Abyss shrieked as a thick ring shattered the crystal that contained the Asteroid senshi and continued to move through the room like a shock wave.

The room was thrown into chaos. As the ring freed them, the quartet sprang into action. Scattering, the four girls attacked the demon guards. Pellas headed to Uranus and Neptune but was blocked by two muscular demons. She drew out her juggling balls and tossed them in the air. The demons watched, mesmerized as the balls spun lazily in midair. Pellas used the distraction to slip between them. Using another of her magic tricks, she began to fiddle with the chains on the elder senshi when she was grabbed from behind.

At the same time, Juno was doing flips around the king and queen's guards, neatly entangling them in ribbon as she did. Ceres and Vesta were also causing a panic while the shock wave tore through several demon guards. 

"Get them!" Abyss shrieked.

Nearly immediately, the quartet was captured again. Abyss pointed to the wall beside Uranus and Neptune and four pairs of chains sprung from the crystal.

"Chain them up," Abyss ordered.

The demons did as they were told and soon the Asteroid senshi hung beside Uranus and Neptune. Abyss was so angry that she stormed out of the room, leaving only half a dozen guards behind while the injured demons followed her out. The prisoners were quiet for several minutes. Under the watchful eyes of the guards, Serenity left Endymion's side and walked to the Asteroid senshi. The four girls hung their heads in shame.

"We failed you, Majesty," Ceres said.

Serenity forced a smile. With a quick glance over her shoulder to the demon guards, she lowered her voice so the quartet had to lean forward to hear.

"Where is Chibiusa?" Serenity asked.

The Asteroid senshi tried to look away. Endymion had sent them to guard the princess as she searched the eastern Crystal Point. From the other side of the room, the king watched. Uranus and Neptune, who could only barely hear the queen, waited with expressionless anticipation.

"We were attacked," Vesta began.

"Huge monster," Pellas said emphatically.

"It chased us," Juno continued.

"We tried to lead it away from the princess," Ceres said.

"When we got back, they were gone," Juno said.

"They took the cylinder," Vesta hissed.

"Parapara thinks it was Nyx," the blue senshi said the name with distaste.

"We searched," Ceres assured the queen.

Serenity's face fell. Her daughter was alone in a city full of dangers. Not alone, she corrected herself. She had the world-ending powers of Saturn and the untested, unpredictable powers of Nyx. Uranus let out a tired sigh and Neptune's eyes seemed filled with worry.

"We're sorry," Juno said. "We tried."

Serenity smiled sadly. "I know."

*******

Sailor Nyx froze. They were on the move again, lost in the dense forest that would dissolve into the foothills of the north eastern mountains. Behind her, Sailor Moon stopped as well, her arms hugging the cylinder tightly. Saturn looked around, her grip on her glaive tightening.

Nyx pointed ahead of them and held up two fingers. The other two nodded and tensed for battle. They had encountered so many patrols that the battle seemed almost routine. The two demons came around the corner, yelped in surprise as Nyx's eyes turned white, and tried to run. Saturn wiped out the fleeing demon with a swipe of her glaive while the other met a terrifying demise at the hand of Nyx.

"All clear," Nyx said finally.

Sailor Moon came out from behind a tree. It bothered her that her friends wouldn't let her fight, but as they always pointed out when she brought up the subject, it was more important for one of them to guard the cylinder.

"Lets go," Nyx ordered, starting forward again.

"Where?" Sailor Moon asked.

Nyx stopped and turned around. Sailor Moon could see the frustration in the girls' brown eyes. She clutched the cylinder tighter to her chest.

"I don't know!" Nyx yelled. "Every day we're getting further away from the palace and every day we're attacked by more of Abyss' monsters, but we have to keep moving."

"Take it easy," Saturn said. "This is hard on all of us."

Nyx passed a weary hand over her face and sighed. "I know. I'm sorry, Princess. Something will come up."

Sailor Moon frowned and exchanged a worried look with Saturn. For some reason, Sailor Nyx seemed to be taking this whole crisis personally, as if she were the one to blame. Chibiusa and Hotaru had been obeying her without question because she was by far the most resourceful in the group, but the further from Tokyo they ran, the more irritable Nyx became.

"Maybe we should rest for a moment," Saturn suggested. 

Nyx shook her head. "We have to keep moving before another patrol comes this way. Don't worry, we'll be fine."

Without another word, Nyx headed off into the forest. With a shrug, Saturn and Sailor Moon followed.

*******

Night drew her dark cloak over Crystal Tokyo, dulling the dim spires of the palace. Those few remaining citizens quickly fled from the growing shadows, knowing death waited for those left in the dark. The demons prowled through the city, hungry for anything they could catch. Occasionally a scream would rip through the still night, a vain cry for help that would never be answered. The senshi were gone, the palace was taken, and the surviving people were left without hope for the future.

Abyss stood in front of an open window, smiling. She drew the despair of the people toward her and grew stronger with their misery. She kept their fears alive and real, allowing her creatures to feed on those they caught. As long as the citizens of Crystal Tokyo were buried in terror, the city would remain hers.

She turned from the window and stared at the closed, guarded door before her. The king and queen slept within, the only two whom Abyss allowed to maintain their dignity. She had grown up with the stories of the legendary Sailor Moon and, despite her hatred for the royals, she respected them. That alone had kept them alive.

"Sleep well, Majesties," Abyss purred. "Who knows what will keep you alive tomorrow."

Her smile broadening, Abyss headed down the hallway toward the Shield Room. She swung the doors open soundlessly and was pleased to see all sixteen of her demons at their posts. The six captured senshi dangled from their chains, their heads bowed in slumber. Entombed in the crystal, the four inner senshi remained as motionless as always. Abyss ran her hand down the smooth crystal in front of Sailor Mars' face and wondered if having their life energy ripped from them had hurt them before they died. 

In the far corner of the room the three caged cats also slept on Endymion's desk and it was toward them that Abyss next walked. Careful not to wake the meddling felines, Abyss began to leaf through Endymion's papers. As she scanned the contents she was disappointed to find most of the papers were legal formalities waiting to be signed. A piece of paper with a drawing on it suddenly caught her eye and she quickly picked it up. It was a schematic plan of the Shield. Quickly reading through the notes, the smile returned to Abyss' face.

"So," she whispered, "you're not dead after all."

She looked up at the inner senshi, still clutching the notes. 

"Don't worry," Abyss added. "You soon will be."

As Abyss left the room with Lady Mercury's notes on the Shield, Sailor Uranus opened one eye. She didn't move or make a sound to alert the guards, but watched and waited, planning her next move.

*******

"Stop, please," Sailor Moon gasped. "I'm exhausted."

Sailor Nyx looked back to see the pink haired princess leaning against a rock, the cylinder hanging from one hand. Nyx looked back up the steep incline they had been climbing and sighed. 

"Okay, we'll rest for a few minutes," she said.

Gratefully, Chibiusa sank to the ground and Hotaru went down beside her. Nyx walked to where they sat and stared down into the valley where Crystal Tokyo lay. From this distance the city looked remarkably peaceful, yet the dullness of the crystal spires despite the sun's best efforts to illuminate them reminded them of their mission.

"Are we still heading north?" Saturn asked as she took a drink of water from a bottle they had found at an abandoned house.

Nyx nodded. "As far as I can tell. I don't like it either. Abyss is up to something and we could be walking right into her trap."

Sailor Moon looked up, squinting in the sunlight. "Why don't you sit too?"

Nyx shook her head. "I'll keep a watch. The further north we go, the better our chances of stumbling onto a demon camp."

The trio was silent for a few minutes. Saturn passed the water to Sailor Moon, who drank thirstily. Nyx looked down at the cylinder and watched the blue, red, orange, and green gases swirl around. She wondered how they were doing, how long they could last in Mercury's crystal. 

A sound in the distance caught Nyx's attention and her head snapped up. Ahead, coming up the mountain, were four large demons. 

"Akumu," Sailor Moon said quietly.

Nyx looked to her left and saw four more demons. A quick glance to the right showed that they were surrounded as four more demons came into view.

"A dozen of them," Saturn said, rising to her feet. "You think we can do it?"

Sailor Moon stood as well. "Maybe we won't have to alone."

Nyx glanced at her curiously, but Saturn nodded grimly. Sailor Moon reached to her neck and drew a golden key out of her shirt. Before Nyx could ask what it was, the first wave of demons attacked.

Nyx could feel her powers surrounding her as her eyes turned white and she rose a foot off the ground. Next to her, Saturn was slashing with her glaive while Sailor Moon clutched the cylinder and brandished her scepter.

"Nightmare Revelation!" Sailor Nyx called.

Three of the dozen demons stopped and looked around in confusion as their nightmares became real. Ghostly white figures descended upon them from the tress and rocks, consuming them until they were gone.  
"Silence Glaive!" Saturn yelled, swiping with her talisman.

Three more demons perished from the attack, but the other half of the demons kept coming. The largest of the demons reached out with clawed hand to Sailor Moon, grabbing at the cylinder. The pink haired senshi fought bravely but was tossed aside as the creature clasped the life energy of the inner senshi.

"No!" Sailor Moon cried.

Nyx's head whipped around in time to see the large demon disappear into the forest. With a feral snarl, Nyx felt herself changing as her powers took control once more. Sailor Moon and Sailor Saturn gasped in alarm as Nyx began to transform into something else. Her blue hair became streaked with red and flew wildly from her head. Her eyes remained white and her grey senshi uniform turned completely black. Two large bat wings sprouted from her back and she fell to the ground. She turned her head once to look at Moon and Saturn and both young senshi could sense the pure anger and rage within their friend. Without another word, the transformed Nyx shot like a bolt into the forest after the demon with the cylinder.

"Akumu!" Moon called.

"No time!" Saturn snapped. "We need help!"

Sailor Moon nodded and raised her key above her head. Concentrating all her efforts, she caused a rip in time and space to open and a tall woman with long, green hair stepped out.

"Small Lady!" Sailor Pluto gasped.

"Puu!" Sailor Moon cried.

Sailor Pluto pointed her staff at the closest demon. "Dead Scream!" she said calmly.

The demon and the three behind it disappeared. Sailor Saturn swept out with her glaive a final time and the last of the dozen demons fell. Exhausted, Sailor Saturn fell as well.

"What's going on?" Pluto demanded.

Sailor Moon explained what had been happening since she had arrived at Crystal Tokyo from the past. Sailor Pluto listened carefully, her face growing more worried with each remark. 

"The palace has fallen, the senshi are captured, and your friend Akumu just ran away like an animal?" Pluto repeated. She shook her head. "I felt disturbances in the realm of Time, but I had no idea it was this bad."

"Can you help us?" Sailor Moon pleaded. "We need to save Mama and Papa!"

Pluto smiled gently. "I will do what I can, Small Lady, but I'm afraid that won't be much. I must remain at the Gates of Time incase this Abyss tries to attack there next. The future and the past are very tempting prizes for the dark hearted."

"Will you stay with us?" Sailor Moon asked.

Pluto sighed and nodded. "I will stay for a while, Small Lady. You must be protected and the cylinder must be found. I believe that if we go back to the Crystal Point, we should be able to fix it and restore the inner senshi."

"But how?" Saturn asked. "None of us know how to do it."

Pluto frowned. "I admit that this is not my area of expertise. Something will turn up, Hotaru-chan. Never fear."

Sailor Moon looked back to the forest where Nyx had disappeared. She wondered where her friend could possibly have gone and what had happened to her.

*******

Akumu ran. She could hear her heart pounding in her ears and feel the blood racing in her veins. This strange new power had heightened her senses, making her see and smell better than before and making it harder for her prey to escape.

The demon ran. She could see it just beyond the trees. She could smell its rank odor and could almost taste it's fear. Yes, it was scared. It had not expected a child to give chase. It had thought this assignment would be like taking candy from a baby. It had been wrong.

A chasm opened in the forest and the demon leapt it without thought. On the other side, it paused to see if the hunter would continue the chase. Nyx paused as well at the edge of the deep canyon. She raised her white eyes to meet the beady black ones of the demon and she smiled. Spreading her leathery wings, Nyx jumped and flew across the chasm, landing on the demon before it could flee. She ripped the cylinder from its claws and somehow managed to kill it single handedly. She could not say exactly how, but as she walked over to a nearby lake to wash off the demon's blood, she saw why it had been afraid.

Nyx screamed at her own image, caked with demon's blood, eyes white and hair wild. She dropped the cylinder in the mud at the lake's shore and stared at her reflection. Her black costume, the leathery wings. 

"What have I become?" Nyx sobbed as darkness overtook her senses and she tumbled into a restless slumber.


	6. Fury

FURY

The Shield room of the Crystal Palace was silent and shrouded in deep shadows. If not for the dim light emanating from the central crystal where the inner senshi stood trapped, the room would have been pitch black. Littered throughout the shadows were dozens of glowing yellow eyes that blinked in and out of existence. It was impossible to tell exactly how many demons were in the room, for they moved stealthily without so much as a tap on the crystal floor. 

Three cages lay on the desk in the corner with a captive in each. The guardian cats lay sleeping, curled into balls on the floor of their cells. The smallest form, that of Diana, was pressed against the wall of her cage to be closer to her mother. Luna had stretched a paw out of her wire cage, reaching for her isolated kitten as she slept. 

The wall farthest from the three felines contained six figures who hung limply from chains in the crystal wall. Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune drooped in their bonds, sleeping fitfully. Next to them were the small forms of the Asteroid Senshi, Sailors Juno, Ceres, Vesta, and Pallas. They also slept, their minds tormented with their failed mission to keep the princess safe.

A pair of yellow eyes disappeared only to have another pair reappear a few paces away. Sailor Uranus observed it all, her chin touching her chest as she pretended to sleep, but her mind very much awake. She didn't dare alert the demons who guarded her, didn't dare even tell her partner of her plan. She had watched Abyss review the workings of the Shield, and knew that the purple haired woman could now destroy the inner senshi with a wave of her hand. The time of watching had past and now, Uranus knew it was time for action. 

Her plan was simple, but dangerous. Distract the guards and slip out the back entrance only the Planetary Ladies and the queen knew about. It would lead her to the common room where the Ladies had often gathered in happier times and from there she could gain access to anywhere in the palace. Her time was short. Abyss had left only a few hours ago and could be anywhere by now. She had to be fast.

As if she had read Uranus' mind, Diana woke and stood up in her cage. The wire squares were not small enough to keep the flexible kitten contained, but she had stayed in the cage to prevent harm from coming to her loved ones. As Uranus raised her head slightly, the kitten looked at her with red eyes wide and nodded once. Uranus smiled to herself, and quickly lowered her head again as the yellow eyes swept past. Quick as a flash, Diana squeezed her way through the bars of her cage and stood on top of it.

"Meow!" she said loudly.

At once, all the yellow eyes in the room converged on the kitten. Uranus did a quick count and guessed at fourteen or fifteen demons. As the guards closed in on the kitten, she squeaked in alarm, leapt from her cage, and took off at a run out of the room. Luna, awakened by her daughter's cry, yelled for her to come back and began to frantically try to escape the cage. Artemis was doing the same and, in the confusion, Uranus slipped free of her chains. She silently thanked Sailor Pallas for loosening the bonds when the quartet had been caught as she vanished down the secret passage way.

As the night progressed, Sailor Uranus slipped through the northern gate and out into the city. The Tokyo she remembered from only a few short weeks ago was gone and a city akin to her vision of the Silence remained. Half destroyed buildings were vaguely silhouetted in the moon's dim glow and unthinkable creatures slithered through the deep night.

Suddenly, a pink glow illuminated the blackness, shooting into the sky in a pillar of light. Uranus quickly hid from view behind a building, squinting to the north where the light originated. Uranus thought back to a conversation she had had with Setsuna in their old lives a hundred years ago.

_"So you were guarding Chibiusa the first time she came to the past?" Michiru asked._

Setsuna nodded. "I kept an eye on her through the Luna-P ball, but it wasn't easy. She was a scared child far from home."

"At least the Black Moon Clan couldn't spot her easily," Haruka remarked, sipping her coffee.

"Not at once, no," Setsuna agreed, "but if she was scared, she would use the Time Key prematurely which would cause a rip between space and time."

"So?" Michiru said.

"So," Setsuna continued, "that rip was like lighting a huge, pink beacon and shouting 'Here I am!' to the Black Moon Clan. They could spot her miles away."

Uranus smiled grimly to herself, knowing her short time had just grown shorter. If the princess had decided to use a last resort and try to escape through the Time Gate, she must be in great danger. The pink beacon was certainly useful for Uranus to come to their aid, but if Abyss knew of it as well, the princess and her friends would be in serious trouble.

As the beacon died down, Uranus slipped from the building into the street again. As fast as she could, she headed to the northern foothills of the mountains.

********

Sailor Moon, Sailor Saturn, and Sailor Pluto stayed in the mountain foothills where Sailor Nyx had disappeared for the rest of the night and for most of the next day. They had followed Nyx's trail as far as the chasm in the forest but had seen no trace of her at all after that. They could not cross the canyon and feared for their friend's life. 

Sailor Moon gazed into the forest as the other two senshi stood guard. She had not give up hope that her friend would come out of the forest, smiling and carrying the lost cylinder. She knew Akumu was all right. She could feel it. A gentle hand fell to her shoulder.

"We should keep moving," Sailor Saturn told her.

"But, Akumu," Sailor Moon protested.

"If she has not returned yet," Pluto said, "she probably never will. We must assume the cylinder is in Abyss' possession, Small Lady."

"We must get it back," Saturn added.

Sailor Moon shook her head stubbornly. "Akumu will be back."

"But what will she be?" Pluto asked.

Sailor Moon looked up sharply. They had told Pluto of Sailor Nyx and of her transformation into something else. What she had become, none of them could guess. The girl's senshi uniform had turned black and her blue hair had become streaked with red. Her eyes had remained white and leathery wings had sprouted from her back. Sailor Moon could remember the expression on the creature's face as she looked at Sailor Moon before running off into the forest. The face had been wild, untamed, and very angry.

"She'll be fine," Sailor Moon said forcefully. "I can't abandon her."

"You aren't," Saturn said to her friend. "Akumu will be able to follow us. You've seen how resourceful she can be. She's what has kept us alive this far."

Tears sprung unbidden into Sailor Moon's eyes and she finally nodded. Taking a last look at the dark forest, Sailor Moon followed her two friend further north to Abyss' hideout.

********

At dawn, Abyss walked down the hallway toward the Shield room with Queen Serenity and King Endymion a few paces behind her. Every morning Abyss heard reports in front of the queen, just waiting for the news that the princess was dead. She knew the news would destroy the queen as well as the captive senshi and then no one would stand between her and the city.

The two demon guards swung the large doors open for Abyss and she swept past them into the room. Immediately she noticed two things very wrong. The smallest cage on the desk was empty, and a pair of vacant chains hung from the wall next to Sailor Neptune. 

"Where is she?" Abyss screamed, pointing to the chains. 

Sailor Neptune smiled and said nothing. The Asteroid senshi all craned their necks to see what Abyss was talking about. Queen Serenity and King Endymion took their usual places by the desk, surrounded by guards. 

Abyss walked up to Neptune until their noses were nearly touching. "Where is she?" 

"If I knew, why would I tell you?" Neptune retorted.

Abyss raised a hand and struck Neptune full across the face. The aquamarine haired girl's head reeled with the blow, but she remained silent. Abyss struck her again and a trickle of blood came from Neptune's lip.

The sound of a demon entering the room made Abyss turn. She saw the massive black creature holding something almost delicately in one hand. 

"What's that?" Abyss demanded.

The demon opened his hand and Diana popped out. She looked at Abyss with her large eyes and cocked her head to one side. Abyss walked over to the demon and picked the kitten up by the scruff of her neck.

"Diana!" Luna cried. 

Abyss held the kitten up over her head. "Either someone tells me where that senshi went, or this kitten won't live to see the sunset."

The room fell silent except for Luna's muted sobs. Artemis was trying his best to comfort her, but the distance that separated them made it difficult. 

"She's gone."

All eyes snapped onto Neptune as the senshi spoke. Abyss headed back to her, still holding Diana roughly by the neck.

"What did you say?" Abyss whispered.

"She's gone," Neptune repeated. "She escaped."

"I know that!" Abyss roared. "Where?"

"I don't know," Neptune replied calmly.

In frustration, Abyss threw Diana across the room. The kitten squeaked in alarm as she flew through the air, but Endymion ran forward and caught her before she landed. The guards pushed him roughly back to his wife, but the purple kitten remained in his gentle grasp, shaking with fear.

"Get every warrior out in the mountains," Abyss ordered. "Assemble the rest of the army in the north. I want every demon who is not guarding the palace to search for the missing senshi!"

The demons bowed and scrambled to obey her orders. 

"And you," Abyss said menacingly, turning back to Neptune. "You will be punished for every day they are free."

Neptune's expression remained calm, but a sense of dread settled in the pit of her stomach.

_Haruka,_ she thought. _Please hurry!_

********

Sailor Uranus ran non-stop until she reached the approximate location of Sailor Moon's beacon. She could not be sure of the exact site, but she trusted her instincts to help as she fumbled her way through the dense forest. Almost immediately she came to a clearing where signs of a struggle were clearly marked. The grass was flattened and scorched in several places, greenish stains from demon blood stained the rocks, and half a demon lay rotting in the afternoon sun. Pausing, Sailor Uranus looked back to the south and saw the spires of Crystal Tokyo shining dimly in the sunlight. 

_Help her_

Uranus brought her head up sharply as the two word echoed in her mind. She looked around and saw a faint path that headed into the forest to her right. Seeing no other way to go, she headed back into the forest.

Uranus walked through the tangle of trees and underbrush for quite some time, the hot sun beating down on her. She ignored the uncomfortable sensation and kept moving, suppressing her thirst and hunger. Suddenly, the never ending parade of trees stopped and Sailor Uranus found herself face-to-face with a large canyon that split through the forest like a scar. She walked to the edge and looked down into the depths. A few pebbles, dislodged by her foot, fell down the chasm wall and she waited to hear the sound of their landing, but heard nothing. With a shrug, she turned back the way she had come.

_So close _

Sailor Uranus paused. "Who's there?" 

Silence answered her. She turned full circle, searching for the origin of the mysterious voice, but saw nothing. Uranus was about to head back into the forest when something behind her crashed. Whirling around and dropping into a defensive crouch, Uranus looked for an attack but found none. The sound had been a huge tree falling to span the chasm like a bridge.

_Help her_

"This is very strange," Uranus muttered to herself as she walked across the huge log. 

A few feet ahead she saw the sun reflecting off a large lake. Her thirst suddenly overwhelming her, Uranus ran forward and fell to her knees at the edge of the lake. She drank deeply, feeling the cool water trickle down her throat, and felt a pang of regret for leaving Neptune and the others behind. 

Something across the lake caught her attention and Uranus leapt to her feet. She stared across to the other end of the lake and saw a familiar figure. Thinking her eyes were deceiving her, she moved forward until the strange figure was only a meter away. The girl smiled warmly at Uranus, her shoulder length brown hair fluttering gently in the breeze. She was dressed in a yellow gown that seemed to be made of pure sunlight and an aura of golden light shone around her like an angel's halo. As ethereal as she looked, she was very familiar.

"Kami?" Uranus whispered. 

The girl shook her head. "Once, long ago, yes. Now I am Lucis."

Lucis gestured with one hand to an unconscious form at her feet. Uranus looked down and saw a girl with wild, blue and red hair wearing a black senshi uniform. Two huge leathery wings sprouted from her back, and a cylinder shaped object lay near one of her outstretched bloody hands.

"What is that?" Uranus asked. "A demon?"

Lucis smiled. "Always quick to jump to conclusions, Haruka. Take a closer look. She won't harm you."

Cautiously, Uranus crept forward and turned the sleeping form over. With a gasp, she stepped back and raised terror filled eyes back to Lucis' calm face.

"It's Akumu! What happened?"

Lucis looked down sadly at the girl. "She has not yet mastered her full powers and they transformed her. She is the senshi of Dreams, the Mind, but her namesake is Night."

"What does that have to do with anything?" Uranus demanded.

"She allowed her fear and anger of who she was to consume her," Lucis continued, as if Uranus had not spoken. "She became a monster of Night, a Fury."

"A what?" Uranus asked. "Kami, you're not making any sense."

"A Fury," Lucis repeated. "Long ago in ancient times, the Furies were the ones who prosecuted criminals, driving them insane as they chased them. They would stalk their prey until it was caught."

"Then what?" Uranus wondered, looking down at Akumu.

"Then the Furies would destroy him," Lucis replied. "Haruka, you need to help her control her fear and anger or else she will transform again."

Uranus nodded. "I'll do what I can, Kami."

Lucis smiled brightly. "Thank you."

With that, the spirit of Light disappeared, leaving Sailor Uranus alone in the clearing with the unconscious Fury.

********

"There it is," Sailor Saturn whispered.

The three senshi hid in the forest at the rim of the demon camp. Before them, hundreds of demons mustered about, striking tents and polishing their claws. Pluto observed it all with a look of concern and Sailor Moon bit her lip nervously.

"What are they doing?" the pink senshi asked.

"It looks like they're getting read for war," Pluto replied. 

"But they have the city," Saturn objected. "What else does Abyss want?"

The grip on Sailor Pluto's staff tightened as she looked down to Sailor Moon. Saturn followed the eldest senshi's gaze and gasped in spite of herself. Puzzled, Sailor Moon looked back up at Puu.

"What?" she asked.

Pluto shook her head. "No matter. We have to stop them. Here."

Saturn planted the butt of her glaive into the soft soil beneath her feet. "I'm ready. What shall we do?"

"A direct attack would be foolish," Pluto mused. "There are far too many of them. We need to find the cylinder and take it back first."

"But we don't even know where the cylinder is," Sailor Moon said. 

"Look," Saturn said, pointing through the trees at a tent that hadn't yet been taken down. It was guarded by five or six large demons.

"Whatever is in there," Pluto said, "it would be valuable to us if Abyss needs to guard it so heavily."

"So, we should break into the tent?" Moon asked, blinking at the guards. "How will we get by them?"

"At night," Pluto replied. "The rest of the demons will be asleep by then and we will have the element of surprise."

"Too bad Nyx isn't here," Moon pouted. "She could have put them all to sleep for us."

Saturn and Pluto said nothing. In silence, the trio of senshi watched and waited.

********

Akumu came to herself very suddenly. Her sore and exhausted body protested consciousness, but her mind was already at work. Without moving from where she lay, she thought about what had happened to her. She remembered it all as if it were a dream; she chased the demon and she ripped it apart with her bare hands. Slowly, she lifted her hand to her face and noticed they were clean. Her gloves had gone as well and it took her a moment to realize she was no longer dressed in her senshi uniform. Taking a deep, shaky breath, Akumu pushed herself into a sitting position and looked around.

The sun was just setting to the west. She lay near the edge of a large mountain lake and the cylinder containing the life essences of the inner senshi rested beside her. She was dressed in her pyjamas, the clothes she had been wearing weeks ago when the Amazon Quartet had abducted her. In front of her burned a small fire and Akumu stared at it for a moment, trying to remember if she had made it or not. Movement to her right made her turn her head sharply and cry out in pain. Her vision blurred for a moment, and when it cleared, she saw Sailor Uranus kneeling before her.

"Lady Uranus?" Akumu mumbled, not believing her eyes. 

"How are you?" Uranus asked, her voice betraying some worry.

Akumu rubbed her eyes and looked again. The scene was the same and Sailor Uranus was in front of her. The elder senshi put a hand on the girl's shoulder.

"Am I dreaming?" Akumu wondered.

Sailor Uranus laughed sharply. "If you are, can you put us somewhere else?"

Akumu smiled. Suddenly, the memory of what she had done came racing back full force and she shuddered. Uranus fed more branches to the fire as the sun sank out of view.

"Where's Usagi and Hotaru?" Akumu asked.

"I was hoping you could answer the same question," Uranus replied. "You're the only one I found here."

"The cylinder," Akumu began.

"Is safe," Uranus replied. "How did you get across that canyon by yourself? Why didn't you stay with the princess?"

Akumu blushed and lowered her head in shame. She opened her mouth to tell Uranus everything that had happened, but something made her pause. She looked at her hands again in disgust. She had become everything she feared in the senshi - cruel, heartless, and destructive, like the senshi who had taken away her guardian.

Uranus watched her struggle with her thoughts. Slowly, she nodded. "I saw you."

Akumu looked up sharply. "You saw "

"What you became. The Fury."

"Is that what I am?" Akumu said angrily. "Why was everyone so eager to have me become a senshi? Did you know this was what my powers would do to me?"  
Uranus shook her head. "Of course not. No one knew."

"They why did it happen?" Akumu sobbed. "I'll never become Sailor Nyx again."

Sailor Uranus sighed. Kami had been right. She was letting fear control her. 

"Listen," Uranus said. "It's the fear that turned you into a Fury, it's not who you are. You need more control."

"Control, control," Akumu cried. "That's all you tell me. What if I can't control it? What if it controls me?"  
Uranus bit her lip, thinking back to the stories Usagi had told her of the Dark Scout. Kami had had the same problems as Akumu, yet had been more willing to fight it. 

_Until I killed her._

"You can master it," Uranus assured her. "Tell me exactly what happened before you turned into the Fury. Together, we'll figure this out."

Akumu sniffed and wiped a stray tear from her cheek. Slowly at first, she began to tell the elder senshi everything that had happened since Abyss had seized Crystal Tokyo.

********

Abyss watched the sunset of the ruins of Crystal Tokyo. Her demons had been hard at work, cleansing the city of any who opposed her rule. Those who did fight against her, and survived capture, were taken to the training arena in the palace. Abyss had big plans for their mass execution, witnessed by the former king and queen of Tokyo.

"Before that," Abyss said to herself, "we have those frozen senshi to deal with. They've been an eyesore in my palace for too long."

She held the paper with the workings of the Shield in one hand and squeezed it. As the paper crumpled beneath her fingers, a small purple spy ran from the open doorway.

"Sir! Sir!" Diana whispered frantically, scratching the door.

King Endymion opened the door a crack. The two guards on either side looked at him suspiciously, but Endymion merely smiled and closed the door again. Neither of the guards noticed the small, purple kitten run in between his feet, nor had they noticed the scratching. 

Inside the bedroom, Endymion picked the small kitten up and carried her to the small office where Serenity sat waiting. For the two nights since Uranus had escaped, Endymion had hid Diana in their room. Abyss, too preoccupied in catching the escaped senshi, had not even noticed the kitten's absence.

"Sir, Madam," Diana said urgently, "Abyss is going to kill Lady Venus and the others!"

Serenity looked at her sharply. "What? How?"

"I don't know, Madam," Diana said sadly. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be," Endymion said gently. "You've done more than enough already. You're very brave."

Diana beamed with pleasure as Endymion stroked the kitten's head. Serenity sighed and tickled Diana's chin.

"I'm sorry as well," Serenity said. "I've been so worried about Chibiusa and the others, I didn't even thank you for risking your life."

Diana purred and smiled. "I understand."

"Abyss must have found the notes on the Shield," Endymion concluded. 

"She did go through papers on Sir's desk," Diana agreed.

"So she knows how to kill them?" Serenity said.

Endymion nodded thoughtfully. "We'll have to stall her long enough to give Chibiusa and Haruka enough time to get back here."

Serenity nodded. "I hope she gets here soon. Abyss is growing more and more impatient."

********

When darkness covered the mountains, Sailors Moon, Saturn, and Pluto crept out of the cover of the forest and headed toward the camp. They had waited patiently for the demon guards to settle down but were disappointed to find the five guards around the tent remained standing at attention. Nevertheless, the trio of senshi were determined to stop Abyss' army before it headed to the city, and that meant stealing whatever was being guarded in the tent. 

Pluto motioned for Sailor Moon and Sailor Saturn to go around to the back of the tent, the place that was the least guarded. When she was sure the two smaller senshi were in place, Pluto stepped out of the cover of the shadows and aimed the staff at the guards.

"Dead Scream," she called.

Two of the five guards were eliminated with the one attack while the other three tried desperately to raise the alarm. Pluto silenced them before they could wake the army, but some of the closer demons woke to join the fray.

Behind the tent, Sailor Saturn ripped the seam with her glaive and the two senshi slipped inside. It was pitch black within the tent and the two had to pause to allow their eyes to adjust to the darkness.

Navigating by the sliver of moonlight from the tear they had crawled through, Sailor Moon and Sailor Saturn saw the contents of the tent. It was not the cylinder, but something worse. 

"Well, well, well," Abyss said. "What do we have here?"

"Abyss!" Sailor Moon gasped. "How?"

"Did I get here?" Abyss finished. The woman laughed. "A simple teleportation device. I don't trust my warriors enough to send messages to them. I prefer direct orders."

Saturn leveled her glaive at Abyss as the woman moved forward a step. "Don't try it," the purple senshi warned.

Abyss pouted. "Oh no! Are you going to hit me with your stick?"

"Where's the cylinder?" Sailor Moon demanded.

Abyss raised an eyebrow in surprise. "You don't have it? How delightful! I'm sorry, princess, but I don't have it either. It's a shame, really. By the time you and your little friends make it all the way back to Tokyo, your crystallized sailor friends will be ancient history."

The front of the tent flew open and Pluto walked it, pointing her staff at Abyss. Behind her as the tent flap fell closed again, Sailor Moon could see the remains of a dozen or so slaughtered demons.

"Give up, Abyss," Pluto said.

The purple haired woman turned. "I don't believe we've met. Of course, you must be Sailor Pluto. I've heard much about you."

Pluto said nothing. Abyss looked from her to Saturn and sighed. 

"I'm sorry to break this up," she said, "but I have some business to attend to."

"Don't move," Saturn warned.

Abyss chuckled to herself and lifted a hand above her head. A sphere of black energy formed and crackled as she held it. Pluto's eyes widened as Abyss threw the sphere into the air. Time seemed to slow as the energy ball plummeted to the ground. All three senshi watched it in horror as Abyss disappeared back through her portal. 

Suddenly, the black sphere struck the ground and the entire tent exploded in a hemisphere of negative energy.

********

Sailor Moon opened her eyes and blinked in surprise. She stood in the tent with Sailor Saturn beside her and Sailor Pluto in front of her. The portal through which Abyss had escaped was just closing, but time appeared to have stopped. 

Sailor Saturn blinked and looked first at herself, then at her companions. Sailor Moon shrugged and both the young senshi turned to face Saturn.

"Run," the eldest senshi told them. "I've slowed time, but I can't hold it for long."

"Puu," Sailor Moon said, "what about you?"

Pluto smiled. "I'll survive. I have before, a century ago when I saved Haruka and Michiru from a similar fate. Now, go Small Lady. You are needed."

"Abyss" Saturn began.

"She can't be stopped now," Pluto said, "but we do know what she will be doing. I'm sorry I can't go with you to Tokyo."

"Why not, Puu?" Sailor Moon asked.

Pluto smiled wearily. "It is no easy task to slow Time, Small Lady. I must rest and recover my powers at the Time Gate. If you need me, I'll be there."

Tears welled up in Sailor Moon's eyes as Saturn pulled her through the rip in the tent. As the two senshi ran, Sailor Moon looked back and saw Pluto, her eyes closed in concentration, giving them enough time to live.

When the two senshi were a safe distance away, time returned to normal, and Abyss' northern army was vaporized in a blast of dark energy. 

Alone again, the two senshi began the long walk back to Tokyo. They had no plan for rescuing the inner senshi without the cylinder, but maybe they could free the captives and free Crystal Tokyo of Abyss once and for all. 

A faint glimmer of hope settled in Sailor Moon's breast, and she smiled to her friend. Saturn smiled back, and hand in hand, the two girls headed for a brighter future.


	7. Poison

POISON

Sailor Uranus and Akumu walked through the dense forest of the foothills. For many hours, neither spoke as they slid down the steep slopes of the northern mountains. Akumu, wearing only her silk pyjama pants and shirt, had cut up her feet horribly walking across the sharp rocks. She struggled to keep up with Uranus, never complaining about her bloody feet. Finally, Uranus looked behind to see how her charge fared and cursed to herself when she saw the bloody trail Akumu had been leaving.

"What are you doing?" Uranus demanded, striding back to the girl and forcing her to sit on a rotting log.

"I'm fine," Akumu said numbly.

Uranus shook her head. The thief had been acting very strangely since her transformation into the Fury. She had adamantly refused to become Sailor Nyx and had gradually fallen into a sad silence. Uranus found herself unable to coax Akumu out of it, and wished fiercely that her gentler half, Michiru, was with her.

"You're leaving a trail for the demons to follow," Uranus told Akumu as she knelt to bandage the girl's feet.

"What does it matter?" Akumu said. "I'm one of them now anyway."

Uranus looked up sharply. "You are not a demon."

"You saw what I became," Akumu objected. "You were right all along. My powers are far too unpredictable to be controlled."

"You need time," Uranus said, ripping Akumu's pant leg to make a bandage.

"We have no time," Akumu replied.

Uranus sighed and sat back on her heels. She regarded the depressed face of Akumu and thought about how she could help the girl. She thought back to her own understanding of her destiny and realized that Michiru had been with her from the start. Haruka, like Akumu, had tried to run and it was only through Michiru's heroic self sacrifice that she had seen her true calling.

"I can't make you do what you don't want to," Uranus told Akumu, "but I can tell you you're not alone. You have friends now, and we'll all stand by you and help."

Akumu raised her head and Uranus saw her tear filled eyes brimming with gratitude. She smiled for the first time sine Haruka had found her, and nodded. The two girls rose together and continued their trek. 

Suddenly, the dense underbrush parted and four large demons leapt out. Uranus pushed Akumu behind her protectively as the girl clutched the cylinder. Snarling with rage, the demons attacked.

Sailor Uranus raised her hand over her head and stared angrily at the closest demon.

"World Shaking!" she called.

One of the demons vanished with a shriek of rage. Another charged Uranus and the two met, locked in combat. The demon growled at Uranus and extended it three-inch claws. It took all of Uranus' strength to keep the talons from her face. Behind her, Akumu screamed.

"Transform!" Uranus ordered, still grappling with the monster.

"I can't!" Akumu protested.

The other two demons had her backed against a tree. Akumu stared at them in fear, but could not bring herself to become Sailor Nyx. The sheer terror of becoming the Fury was enough to keep the powers of Nyx at bay. Sailor Uranus swore and kicked the demon she wrestled aside. The claws tore through her arm, leaving four deep gashes. 

Uranus raised her hand above her head again.

"World Shaking!"

Her wrestling partner disappeared. Clutching her bloody arm, she turned to face Akumu's attackers. Uranus drew out her talisman and smiled grimly.

"Space Sword Blaster!" Uranus called, slashing out with her sword.

The remaining two demons dissolved away. Uranus fell to her knees and Akumu ran to her. The elder senshi was breathing hard and held her wounded shoulder with one hand.

"You're hurt!" Akumu remarked. She sank to the ground next to Uranus. "It's my fault."

Uranus shook her head and wiped the beads of sweat off her brow with her good hand. "I'm fine; don't blame yourself. Please, help me up."

Akumu stood and pulled the injured senshi to her feet. Ripping off her sleeve, Akumu bandaged the wounded arm. She released her hold on Uranus, but quickly caught the senshi as she teetered and began to fall.

"Uranus!" Akumu gasped.

"I'm fine," Uranus said, cringing in pain and holding her arm.

"No, you're not," Akumu told her, near tears. "I should have helped you. I should have transformed."

Uranus pushed Akumu's helpful arm away and stood unsteadily on her own. Putting on a brave face, she began to walk forward.

"C'mon," Uranus said. "We have to keep moving."

Akumu stared after the senshi for a moment before scooping up the cylinder and following.

********

Abyss bit deeply into the apple. Clear juice dribbled down her chin and she wiped it away with the back of her hand. She sauntered over to where Sailor Neptune hung from her chains as she chewed and swallowed the fruit. Neptune watched expressionlessly, trying to ignore the rumbling in her stomach. Since Uranus' escape, Abyss had been regularly torturing the captive senshi, Neptune most of all.

"How long has it been since you ate?" Abyss asked, taking another bite.  
Neptune didn't reply. Abyss smiled and snapped her fingers. The demon guard who stood beside Neptune struck her hard in the stomach. The senshi doubled over as much as her chains would allow. Abyss held up a hand to keep the demon at bay.

"You could end this all now," Abyss told her. "Just tell me your partner's plan."

"Never," Neptune replied.

Abyss snapped again and the demon backhanded Neptune across the face. Her head reeled from the blow and rocked on her neck. Abyss smiled cruelly.

"The world knows of your psychic bond," Abyss continued as if nothing had happened. "The two of you plan without a single word. I knew one of you would escape and the other would sacrifice herself."

Neptune said nothing. She had sensed Uranus' plan to escape, but where her beloved was now was impossible to guess. Abyss watched the girl carefully.

"Three days," Abyss said, discarding the half eaten apple on the floor. "Most won't last past five without food or drink. You are far too willing o die."

Abyss nodded and the demon guard followed her to where the Asteroid senshi hung.

"Perhaps another would be more willing to reveal the senshi's plan," Abyss said. "Either way, you'll all die."

Sailor Pallas swallowed hard as Abyss walked passed her. Neptune painfully turned her head to the young girls beside her.

"Be strong," Neptune told them as Abyss left the Shield room.

"Easy for you to say," Juno grumbled. "I'm so hungry!"

Vesta eyed the discarded apple hungrily. "I wonder if I could reach that with my feet."

"Your feet aren't even touching the ground," Ceres remarked. 

"Patience," Neptune scolded them. "Wait for night."

The four senshi nodded and fell silent. Neptune licked the blood from her lip and stared ahead into the face of Sailor Venus. The girl was so peaceful looking in her living death, completely unaware of what happened to her city. Neptune wondered what kind of state the four senshi would be in when they awoke. Would they be up to a fight with Abyss, or would the Dark Moon triumph after all?

********

As night fell, Sailor Moon and Sailor Saturn searched for a place to hide. They were tired and hungry after their long hike, but had not seen any sign of pursuit from the destroyed demon camp. They both knew that Abyss thought them dead, and that she had no way of knowing that Pluto had saved them at the last possible second. 

As the two girls silently pulled together a crude shelter of branches and leaves, Moon wondered what would become of them. The cylinder was gone, that was certain. Abyss didn't have it, but she knew that Sailor Moon did not possessed it either, which would not prevent her from murdering the inner senshi.

And then there was the problem of Akumu.

"Get in," Saturn said, gesturing to the small opening of their shelter. 

Sailor Moon scrambled through the hole, careful not to knock the fragile structure down. To the naked eye, the shack looked like a fallen over tree overgrown with shrubbery. Sailor Moon knew that no demon would find them tonight.

Saturn slid in next to Sailor Moon, pulling her glaive in and laying it across the floor. She looked to her friend and smiled wearily. 

"What are you thinking?" Saturn asked.

"About the cylinder," Sailor Moon sighed. "What are we going to do without it?"

Saturn shrugged. "I think we should try to sneak into the palace and free Queen Serenity."

"How would we do that? Abyss will have guards all over the place!" Moon said.

Saturn smiled slyly. "Not everywhere. Getting in will be no problem. The hard part will be getting to your parents."

"And getting the Crystal," Moon added. She sighed again and yawned. 

"But first," Saturn said, echoing Moon's yawn, "we should get some sleep."

********

The full moon was high overhead when Saturn came awake with a start. Beside her, Sailor Moon slept on, unaware of the impending danger. Outside, the sound that had woken Saturn came again. It was not loud, but had just enough volume to make Saturn worry. She paused, listening as the sound came a third time. She guessed at two sets of footfalls, which meant two demons who had followed them from Abyss' camp. Quickly, she nudged Sailor Moon awake and placed her hand over the other girl's mouth to keep her from speaking. Wide eyed, Sailor Moon stared up at Saturn, who placed a finger on her lips to indicate silence. Sailor Moon nodded in understanding and Saturn removed her hand.

The sound came again and this time there was no mistaking the sound of foot steps. Sailor Moon slid further back in the shelter as Saturn's hand folded around her glaive. The senshi of Death and Rebirth motioned for Sailor Moon to stay where she was, and snuck out of the shelter.

The moon cast shadows around the forest as Saturn hid behind a tree, holding her glaive tightly. Her purple eyes scanned the trees carefully, looking for any sign of movement. To her right, bushes rustled and Saturn brought her glaive up, ready to strike if necessary. The bushes parted and two figures limped into the clearing. The larger of the two leaned heavily on the shorter, and although both were masked in darkness, Saturn could see they were not demons. Stepping from the shadows, she leveled her glaive at the throat of the shorter figure, which brought them to a halt. As Saturn tried to figure out who she was facing, Sailor Moon stuck her head out of the shelter.

"Who are you?"

"Hotaru," the smaller figure said. "It's me."

Saturn lowered her glaive. "Akumu?"

"And Sailor Uranus," Akumu said. "Please, help her."

Saturn hurried over to her two friends as Sailor Moon scrambled out of the shelter. Akumu gently lowered Uranus to the ground and Saturn could see the sheen of sweat on her pale face. 

"What's wrong?" Sailor Moon asked.

"Get her inside, quickly," Saturn said. "She's been poisoned."

********

Diana moved stealthily down the deserted hallways of the Crystal Palace. The moon was high and full as she darted under the legs of guards and hid from the view of patrols. She didn't dare tell anyone, but she quite enjoyed sneaking around. Too long she had lived in the shadow of her parents and had been denied responsibility. At last she was able to show Queen Serenity and King Endymion how useful she could be.

Her latest mission, after Serenity had heard that Abyss was starving the captive senshi, was to make sure they had something to eat. This was no easy task for the small purple kitten. Every night she would sneak down the servants passage to the kitchen and steal all the food she could carry - which was not much. She would then have to take it from the kitchens up to the Shield Room without being seen or heard. For three nights she had successfully made the journey and the senshi, although hungry, were not starving to death.

Balancing a napkin filled with food in her mouth, Diana darted across the hall and squeezed between the large doors that were always left ajar. Five demons stood outside every entrance, but the room itself was empty of guards. Diana deposited the small bag of food in the middle of the room and pawed it open. 

She first took out two small sausages and dragged them to the two cages on Endymion's desk. Abyss apparently had not yet missed the purple kitten, and so her midnight missions continued uninterrupted. Careful not to make too much noise, Diana pushed one sausage in each cage for her parents. Luna and Artemis said nothing by way of thanks, but each watched their daughter with thankful, worry filled eyes. They knew if Abyss ever caught Diana, they would never see their only child again. Quickly, they ate the sausages as Diana returned to her bag.

Feeding the senshi was more complicated since they were chained to the wall. Diana pulled a hunk of bread from the bag and pulled it to Neptune's feet. She then managed to carry it up Neptune's body until the kitten perched on the senshi's shoulder and held the bread out in her mouth. Neptune ate as much as she could, and whispered thanks to the kitten. Diana proceeded to do the same to the four Asteroid senshi until her bag was empty. The kitten then went into the meeting room of the Planetary Ladies through which Uranus had made her escape, and pulled a bottle of water from the shelf. She used a long straw Endymion had constructed and placed in her collar to allow all the captives to drink. Diana then disposed of the bottle beneath Endymion's desk, retrieved the napkin, and ran back to Serenity and Endymion's bedroom, her mission accomplished.

********

As the sun rose over the mountains, Akumu stretched and woke. She had spent the night outside in front of a small fire she had constructed. Sailors Moon, Saturn, and Uranus were piled in the shelter and Akumu glanced over at the mass of branches in worry. She had not realized how badly Uranus had been injured until the elder senshi had toppled over as they walked. Akumu had tried to wake her, but Uranus was already lost in fitful slumber. How she had carried Uranus, or how she had found Saturn was beyond her understanding. She was just thankful she had reunited with her friends.

The cylinder lay next to her, the pale light of the inner senshi's life energy churning inside. She wondered how long Lady Mercury had given the safety mechanism before it shut off on its own. It had been several months already and Akumu knew they would soon run out of time and Abyss would win. 

She jumped to her feet as Sailor Moon scrambled out of the shelter. The pink senshi's face was full of concern as she walked over to Akumu. 

"How is she?" the blue haired girl asked.

Sailor Moon shook her head. "Hotaru is trying to heal her."

Akumu blinked in surprise. Sailor Moon gave a sad, half smile. 

"I keep forgetting you're new," Sailor Moon said, attempting a joke. "Hotaru-chan has healing powers, but she takes the illness into herself. The poison is too strong for her to get rid of, but she can ease the pain."

"It's my fault," Akumu muttered. "Why do I have to be so afraid?"

"Don't blame yourself," Sailor Moon said. "We'll find a way to save Haruka, the city, and the others too."

Akumu shook her head. "I'm sorry, princess, but I think I should leave."

Sailor Moon frowned angrily. "Running away again? What did that accomplish last time?"

Akumu looked at her friend with pain filled eyes. "Please, Usagi-chan, understand. I can't transform anymore and even if I could, who knows what I would be? I'm a burden to you and this mission."

Sailor Moon crossed her arms over her chest. "Kuusou Akumu, if you leave again, I'm never going to speak to you!"

Akumu smiled. Sailor Moon kept trying to look angry, but the smile eventually spread over her face as well. 

"Okay, Usagi-chan," Akumu said. "I'll stick around, for a while longer, anyway."

"Good," Sailor Moon said. "Now, help me think of a way to get into the city."

********

Abyss stared at the frozen senshi with a smile on her face. It was all coming together at last. The senshi are gone, captured or dead, and soon Queen Serenity will be unable to provide strength to the city. Then, the Crystal Points will be destroyed and nothing will be able to stop Abyss from ruling Tokyo and the entire Crystal Kingdom.

Six guards came in, with the royal couple between them. Queen Serenity and King Endymion kept their heads high and proud, despite their current status and Abyss found it hard not to admire them. Her smile widened when she thought of how history would remember her - the person who had succeeded where Chaos itself had failed several times, the one who forever shattered the sailor senshi. 

"Greetings, Majesties," Abyss said. "I trust you slept well?"

Serenity said nothing and Endymion glared at his captor with malice in his eyes. Abyss snapped her finger and a demon came forward with a chair. Abyss sat, keeping the monarchs standing before her. She made sure that the senshi and the cats were listening before she began her report.

"Good news," Abyss told them, "the princess and her friends have been found. It seems they were trying to sneak into my camp to see if I had the cylinder of the life energies. Your daughter seemed quite upset when I told her I did not. Apparently, she lost it somehow."

Serenity gripped Endymion's arm tighter, but both their faces remained expressionless.

"A shame, really," Abyss continued. "She probably would have made an excellent queen and warrior. Too bad she crossed me. I assure you all, she did not live to repeat the error."

Serenity gave a small moan and buried her head into Endymion's arm. Abyss laughed and leaned back in her chair.

"Cross off one princess, one child senshi, and one adult," Abyss said. "They won't ever be bothering me again."

"One adult?" Neptune said softly. "Haruka?"

Abyss jumped to her feet and turned to face Neptune. "You had to bring that nuisance up again, didn't you? I will have that senshi by the throat if it's the last thing I do! No one defies Abyss and lives to tell the tale!"

Neptune looked at Serenity and smiled. The queen wiped her eyes and nodded grimly. Abyss threw herself back into her chair and waved a hand at the monarchs.

"Take them away," she ordered her demon guards. "I can't bring myself to look at them today."

As ordered, the six demons brought Serenity and Endymion back to their rooms.

********

Serenity threw herself on the bed and sobbed. Endymion sat beside her, rubbing her back soothingly. Diana popped out of her hiding place in Serenity's desk and ran over to the bed. She looked up inquiringly at Endymion, but the king only shook his head sadly. 

"Chibiusa," Serenity whispered, pulling herself into a sitting position. "How could I let this happen?"

"It wasn't you," Endymion said. "It was Abyss."

"She was our daughter," Serenity cried. "We should have protected her, kept her in the palace."

"As I recall," Endymion told his wife, "we did. She's the one who kept sneaking out."

"And Hotaru-chan," Serenity sighed. "Do you suppose she'll be reborn?"  
Endymion shrugged. "She is the senshi of Rebirth. Perhaps, if the time is right."

"And Akumu," Serenity added. She paused her lament for a moment. "Did Abyss say one child and one adult senshi?"

Endymion thought back and nodded. "So either Hotaru or Akumu escaped."

Serenity sat up. "Who was the adult senshi? It couldn't have been Haruka or else Abyss wouldn't have been so upset when Michiru mentioned her."

"Excuse me, Ma'am and Sir," Diana said, "but could the grown up senshi be Miss Setsuna?"  
The royal couple exchanged a look. They had both forgotten about the senshi of Time, the one Planetary Lady who rarely attended court. Chibiusa carried the Cronos Key with her everywhere she went. 

"If Setsuna was there instead of Hotaru or Akumu," Serenity said slowly, "she would not have let Chibiusa die."

"But if she died as well," Endymion disagreed, "perhaps it was in defense of Chibiusa."

Serenity sighed. "I thought I would feel when our daughter was gone. Those times in the past we nearly lost her, it felt as if I was dying as well."

"But you knew for certain then," Endymion told his wife. "All we know now is that we can't trust Abyss. Chibiusa and the others may well be alive."

Serenity's eyes locked on her husbands and she clasped his hand firmly. "I hope so, darling."

********

Akumu kicked a rock and looked back at the shelter. Sailor Moon sat outside the entrance, looking in at Saturn and Uranus. The two outer senshi were resting inside, one regaining strength and the other lost in a poison filled mind. Akumu sighed and paced around the burnt out fire pit. There must be something she could do. She looked up at the sun, high overhead in the mid day sky. 

"Lucis," she whispered. "Guide me now, please."

As if in answer to her prayer, something fell from the sky at her feet. Akumu bent over to pick it up and saw it was a stick of some sort. At the top was a black ball with two rings around it and a grayish star on the top. Akumu turned it over in her hand, wondering what it was.

"A transformation pen!"

Akumu nearly jumped out of her skin as Sailor Moon spoke from directly behind her. She whirled around and saw the princess staring at the stick in her hand.

"A what?" Akumu asked.

"A transformation pen," Sailor Moon repeated. "Use it to transform into a senshi."

Akumu looked at it dubiously. "I didn't need one before."

"How did you transform?" Moon asked.

Akumu shrugged. "I don't know. I just did."

"Try it," Sailor Moon urged. "Hold it up and say whatever you say to become Sailor Nyx."

Akumu looked from Sailor Moon, to the stick, to Sailor Moon again. The pink senshi was waiting in anticipation for her friend to transform. Akumu bit her lip and thought about becoming the Fury again. She shook the thought from her mind.

"Maybe later," Akumu said.

Sailor Moon frowned and, as if it sensed Sailor Moon's disappointment, the transformation pen began to glow. Akumu dropped it in surprise, but the pen floated until it was eye level with Akumu. It spun once and a beam of light came from the pen and struck Akumu in the forehead. Her hair flew back and a crescent moon with a star on top appeared on her skin.

"That must be your symbol," Sailor Moon said.

"My what?" Akumu tried to say, but the light of the pen suddenly expanded she felt herself falling.

********

Sailor Moon stared at her friend. Akumu stood trance-like in front of her, the black transformation pen still shooting a beam of light at her head. The pink senshi licked her lips and cleared her throat. Akumu didn't move. 

"Hotaru?" Sailor Moon called. 

Saturn's head appeared from the shelter. She seemed very tired and her face paler than before. It took her a moment to see what was happening. She gasped, leapt out of the shelter, and was beside Sailor Moon in a second.

"What happened?" Saturn asked.

Quickly, Sailor Moon told her what had transpired in the last ten minutes. The two young senshi watched in mesmerized amazement until the beam of light broke free of Akumu's head and both the pen and the girl toppled to the ground. 

"Akumu!" Sailor Moon gasped.

Akumu blinked and stood right away. The mark of Nyx was still on her forehead and her eyes had turned white. Without saying a word, she picked up her transformation pen and headed to the shelter, floating above the ground. Saturn and Moon watched.

As Akumu neared the haphazard shack, the leaves and branches that made up the hut flew to both sides leaving Sailor Uranus lying on the ground. Akumu floated until she hovered right next to Uranus's head before raising her face to the sky. The wind picked up around her, streaming her hair straight up, and Sailor Uranus floated until she lay floating three feet above the ground.

"Guardian of the Mind and Senshi of Dreams," Akumu said, "I protect the realm of the Spirit that you are invading."

"Who is she talking to?" Sailor Moon whispered.

Before Sailor Saturn could answer, Akumu disappeared and Sailor Uranus floated down to the ground, landing gently where she lay before. The two younger senshi ran to the elder one.

"Her fever is gone," Saturn said in astonishment.

"Did Akumu heal her?" Sailor Moon asked.

Saturn looked down at Uranus's sleeping face. "I guess we'll find out when she wakes up."

********

Abyss stood on the balcony of the Crystal Palace. From this vantage point, she could see the progress of the destruction of the Points. Already two of the five Points had been reduced to dust and in a few days, nothing would remain. She smiled and laughed out loud. At last she, Abyss of the Black Moon, would win where countless others had failed. At last she would rule the world. 


	8. Flight

FLIGHT

Sailor Moon sat beside Sailor Uranus, watching the ill senshi sleep. The fever induced unconsciousness that had held Uranus for two days had broken several hours ago, the same time that Akumu had vanished. Sailor Moon felt torn. She was worried about Haruka but desperately wanted to know if Akumu was all right. She, like her mother, hated the idea of one person being sacrificed for another and the words of guilt Akumu had spoken made her wonder if a sacrifice had been performed.

Sailor Saturn walked over and pushed a piece of cooked meat into her friend's hands.

"Eat this," Saturn said.

Sailor Moon tore her gaze away from Uranus to look at the food. She wrinkled her nose in distaste.

"What is it?" Moon asked.

"Rabbit," Saturn replied. "It was hurt and was going to die anyway."

Sailor Moon sighed and bit into the food, pretending it was fried shrimp. Saturn looked down at Uranus, her long shadow stretching over the injured senshi.

"How is she?" Saturn asked, unable to keep the grief from her voice.

In their past lives, Hotaru had lived with Setsuna, Michiru, and Haruka, and they had raised her when she had been reawakened. She had even called Haruka "papa" as an affectionate nickname. As nobles of Crystal Tokyo, their close relationship had remained and both Haruka and Michiru often behaved as Hotaru's surrogate parents. As Haruka lay near death, Chibiusa could easily imagine her own father lying there, and understood what Hotaru must be feeling.

"No change," Sailor Moon reported, squinting through the setting sun to look at Saturn.

Saturn sighed deeply and sat down next to Uranus. She smoothed the elder senshi's blond hair and a single tear fell from her cheek to land on Uranus's forehead.

Suddenly, Haruka's eyes opened, but they were not the familiar blue eyes of the senshi; they were white and pupil-less. Uranus's body arched and twin beams of light shot from her eyes. Sailor Moon and Sailor Saturn scrambled backwards in shock as the beams bounced off the treetops and shot back to the earth. They struck the ground near the small campfire and exploded. Moon and Saturn were forced to shield their eyes from the intense light, and when they looked back a figure lay on her side near the fire.

"Akumu?" Sailor Moon whispered.

A soft moan turned the young senshi's attention back to Uranus. The blond girl's eyes had closed once more and her body had relaxed. Saturn gently lay a hand on Uranus's shoulder and the sick girl's eyes snapped open. She blinked twice and looked up at Sailor Moon and Saturn.

"Hotaru-chan," Uranus said weakly. "Princess. What are you doing here?"

Uranus sat up and immediately grimaced in pain, clasping her hand to her wounded arm. 

"Haruka-papa!" Saturn exclaimed in worry.

Uranus smiled at her. "I'm fine. My head feels clearer now. I had a wonderful dream; Akumu was there, fighting as the Fury. She saved me."

"Akumu!" Sailor Moon gasped.

Saturn helped Uranus to her feet and the three senshi crossed the campsite to where Akumu lay. Sailor Uranus sat again, still weak from her illness, and Sailor Moon gently turned Akumu onto her back.

The girl lay as if asleep with her black transformation pen clasped tightly in one hand. The symbol of Night, a crescent moon with a star overtop, was still on her forehead. Sailor Moon shook her gently and she opened her eyes.

"You're okay!" Sailor Moon said, relieved.

"Sailor Uranus," Akumu mumbled, looking around.

"Here," Uranus said.

Akumu smiled. "I was afraid you had left us. I never would have forgiven myself."

"What happened?" Saturn asked.

Akumu, helped by Sailor Moon, pulled herself into a sitting position and shook her head. "I don't remember much. I was angry at the poison for hurting Lady Uranus and . . . I guess I lost control."

"You disappeared completely," Sailor Moon said.

"She was with me," Uranus said. "I saw her in my mind as the Fury, fighting the poison in my blood."

Akumu shuddered. "I became a demon again."

"Not a demon," Uranus objected. "A saviour. I would not have ever woken up had you not helped me."

"See?" Sailor Moon said. "Your powers are helpful. You got the cylinder back and you saved Haruka-san."

"But at what cost?" Akumu whispered, staring at her hands.

********

Abyss stood before the two vacant thrones in the vast audience chamber of the Crystal Palace. Not long ago, this empty room had been full of life and the two monarchs had sat side by side, ruling their kingdom. A smaller throne sat a step below, reserved for the young princess. Abyss walked up the red carpet leading to the thrones, a feat she had not yet dared to attempt. To her left were the four empty chairs of the inner system ladies and to her right, the three chairs of the outer system ladies. Abyss looked neither left nor right, but kept her eyes firmly on the large, crystalline throne of Queen Serenity. She slowly mounted the dais and sat on the thick purple cushion of the royal chair. Abyss smiled and looked out at the audience hall, imagining it full of her devoted followers. She closed her eyes, reveling in the moment.

Suddenly, she opened her eyes to see a kneeling figure before her. It was one of her small demons that she normally used to spy on the inhabitants of Crystal Tokyo. Sitting up straighter on the throne, she looked down at her minion.

"Report," she ordered.

"Majesty," the demon hissed, "the humans of the city are rebelling. They are guarding the last three Crystal Points."

Abyss waved a hand negligently. "Kill them."

"We have been," the demon said. "They fight valiantly and have made barriers our forces are having trouble getting through."

Abyss stood abruptly and the demon scrambled backwards in fear. Abyss walked down the three steps of the dais and stood directly over the cowering demon.

"Are you telling me," Abyss said quietly, "that my army of demons cannot defeat a bunch of puny mortals?"

"We will try again," the demon whimpered. "We will not fail you, Majesty."

Abyss pointed to the door and the demon quickly ran off. She watched him leave.

"You will fail," Abyss predicted, "but I will not."

Turning on her heel, she swept out of the audience hall and into the Shield room. The captive senshi and cats watched as she walked purposefully to the entombed senshi.

"You are doing this," she snarled to them. "Somehow, you are uniting the people."

Angrily she strode to the desk and snatched a strange crystal gun from its surface. She marched up to the chained Sailor Neptune and pointed the gun at her chest.

"With this," she said, "the senshi will fall."

********

Sailor Moon, Sailor Saturn, Sailor Uranus, and Akumu continued their journey out of the northern mountains and toward Crystal Tokyo. Saturn led the way, with Sailor Moon a few steps behind holding the cylinder protectively. Uranus and Akumu brought up the rear, the elder senshi sometimes leaning on Akumu for support. Akumu had not transformed once since she had saved Uranus from the poison, but she carried her transformation pen clasped firmly in one hand. She still blamed herself for Uranus's lingering illness, even though the older girl had assured her she was fine. Akumu found the stain of guilt on her soul not an easy burden to bear.

"There it is," Sailor Moon said.

The foursome looked down from the plateau onto Crystal Tokyo. It looked a mess: tall, graceful, crystal towers had fallen; buildings had been reduced to rubble; and the beautiful parks and walkways were blackened. Akumu heard Sailor Uranus curse softly.

"What is it?" Akumu asked.

Uranus pointed to the city. The northernmost Crystal Point, which would have been clearly visible from the mountains, was gone. In its place was a tall pillar of smoke and many crystal fragments. Sailor Moon gasped.

"Oh no," she whispered. "Not the Points."

"We must hurry," Saturn said urgently. "The inner senshi may not have very much time."

As if Saturn's announcement had given her new strength, Sailor Uranus led the way unaided down the mountain paths to the city. 

********

It was nightfall when they arrived at the northern gate. Their entrance was blocked by several large, muscular demons who guarded the road. Behind them, the senshi could see the remains of the Crystal Point, and were relieved to see the damage was not as bad as they had thought. The four girls crouched in the shadows out of view.

"How do we get in?" Sailor Moon asked.

Akumu pursed her lips in thought. "I think I can get us in, if the way hasn't been destroyed."

"How?" Uranus asked.

"Follow me," the former thief said, disappearing into the night.

Akumu led the three senshi to a large grate that was locked closed. Water trickled along the ground and a foul stench wafted out into the night air. Sailor Moon made a face and pinched her nose closed.

"Ew! Is that the sewer?" she asked.

Akumu reached behind her right ear and drew out her lock-picking tools. Wordlessly, she fiddled with the enormous padlock as Sailor Moon made gagging sounds behind her. Eventually, the lock fell free and hit the ground with a splash. Akumu pushed the rusty grid open and slipped inside.

"Come on, Princess," she whispered from the darkness.

Sailor Moon looked extremely displeased, but stepped in after her friend. Sailor Saturn and Sailor Uranus were only a few steps behind.

The four girls held each others hands in the darkness, with Akumu in the lead. They heard dripping water and felt the rancid sewage around their ankles. Occasionally, a rat would squeak as it ran off, but the brave group kept moving forward. After what felt like hours, Akumu stopped. The three senshi found they could not see her in the darkness and wondered what the hold up was until the thief spoke.

"I believe we're directly under the Crystal Point," she whispered, her voice echoing in the tunnels. "Should we go up to investigate or keep moving to the palace?"

"Go up," Sailor Uranus replied. "Without all five points, we can't raise the Shield and free the senshi."

In the darkness, none of them could tell if Akumu had nodded in agreement or not. She simply began to walk again, tugging the others along with her, until she reached a ladder. Carefully, she guided each one to the first rung and they climbed up, Akumu bringing up the rear.

The sewer lead them out into the street directly in front of the demolished Crystal Point. The four free senshi darted from the sewer to the shelter of a nearby house. Cautiously, they peered out into the street, checking for demons.

"What now?" Sailor Moon asked.

"You can start by telling me who you are," a new voice behind them said.

The senshi whirled around. Behind them stood a young man wearing thick glasses. He had unruly hair that stuck out in all directions and wore what might have been a suit at one point. Now, his clothes were reduced to muddy tatters. He blinked when the girls turned and adjusted his glasses. 

"Holy cow!" he gasped. "Senshi!"

"Shhh!" Sailor Uranus hissed. "Do you want the demons to know we're here?"

The man shook his head fiercely back and forth. He then bowed deeply to them.

"Forgive me, Sailor Uranus. You just surprised me, that's all."

Sailor Moon stuck out her hand. "Hi! What's your name?"

The man's eyes widened even more as he shook the girl's hand. "Sailor Moon?"  
Moon giggled. "No, that's my name."

The man blushed. "I'm sorry, Highness. I thought you were, well the rumors said that…"

"What?" Akumu asked, her eyes narrowed.

"That you were dead," the man finished. "Those few who had escaped the palace said the queen was beside herself with grief."

Sailor Moon's face fell. Tears formed quickly in her eyes and she ducked back behind Sailor Uranus. The man blushed in embarrassment.

"I'm sorry, Princess," he said. "I truly am."

"What is your name?" Sailor Saturn asked kindly.

"Umino," he answered. 

Sailor Moon's head came up, and Sailor Uranus gasped. The man did resemble the Umino of the past, with his large glasses and wild hair, but his hair had a distinct red tinge to it, unlike the older Umino's brown hair.

"I'm Akumu," Akumu said. "What are you doing here?"

Umino shrugged. "Here is as good as anywhere. The demons destroyed the university where I was studying under Dr. Mizuno. Since then, everyone who lived here has either been hiding or has died. We thought the senshi had abandoned us until Abyss started destroying the Crystal Points."

"When was that?" Uranus asked.

Umino shrugged. "A few days ago, perhaps? Anyway, a few people formed a resistance. We've been guarding the other Points against Abyss's demons. So far, none of them have broken through."

"So why are you at this Point?" Sailor Moon wondered.

"Spying," Umino replied. "I'm not too good at fighting, so I volunteered to stay here and report if the demons returned. They smashed up the Point pretty good, but I don't think they did a thorough job."

"Are you saying the equipment in the Point may still work?" Uranus asked.

Umino shrugged again. "I don't know. I haven't been able to get close enough to check."

Akumu smiled. "We'll get you there, Umino-san. Then you can figure out how to fix it."

********

Queen Serenity sat silently in the Shield room. Abyss was quite pleased that the once strong monarch had not said a single word since the announcement of her daughter's death. The queen was also quickly outliving her usefulness. As soon as Abyss had control over the Silver Crystal, the first thing she would do would be to kill Serenity and Endymion.

Abyss tossed the Crystal negligently up and down in one hand. Her other hand held the crystal gun she had fashioned. She was quite proud of her invention; she had studied Lady Mercury's Shield design and had used the same principles Mercury had used to build the Shield to build the gun. It was long and crystalline, and it shot a beam of energy into the very soul of its victim, wrenching the life force out to be stored in a glass cylinder at the base of the gun. Abyss smiled to herself and looked over to where Neptune hung. The aquamarine senshi would be the first to go, she vowed. She would keep the life-energy on display as a reminder to those who crossed her.

The doors to the Shield room opened and three demons came in. They bowed before Abyss and she motioned for them to stand and report. 

"Majesty," the first demon said in a gruff voice. "The citizens of Crystal Tokyo are not surrendering. They had destroyed a large portion of our troops. It appears that they have figured out a way to shield the Points from us. We cannot break through."

Abyss cursed and put the Crystal down on the chair behind her. She gestured wildly with the gun as she expressed her extreme displeasure to the three demons. From the corner of the room, Endymion crouched to be next to his wife. A small purple flash leapt from his cape, across the floor, to Abyss's chair. Sailor Neptune noticed the movement and watched out of the corner of her eye.

Diana's head peeked out from between the seat and the back of the chair, and Neptune saw she held something in her mouth. In front of Diana, Abyss didn't even notice the kitten jump silently to the seat cushion and placed a fake Silver Crystal down beside the real one. The purple kitten then picked up the real Crystal and scurried back to where Endymion waited. The King of Crystal Tokyo picked up the kitten and hid her beneath his cape.

"And that's just the beginning of what I'll do if you don't break down this rebellion!" Abyss shouted. "Now, get out of my sight!"

The three cowed demons bowed and ran from the Shield room. Abyss picked up the glass Crystal and began tossing it in the air again. Sailor Neptune watched, waiting for her to realize the fakery, but Abyss kept playing with it. Finally, she put it in her pocket and marched out of the room. She snapped her fingers at the guards who surrounded Serenity and Endymion, and the king and queen were hustled out of the room as well.

"That was close," Sailor Juno remarked.

"Parapara didn't think it would work," Sailor Pallas added.

"Quiet," Sailor Ceres hissed. 

"There are still demons around," Sailor Vesta continued.

"Sorry," Sailors Juno and Pallas said at the same time.

Sailor Neptune exhaled the breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. So Serenity now had the Crystal again. Maybe this situation would be resolved faster than Neptune had anticipated.

********

Sailor Saturn and Sailor Moon stood guard just inside the half demolished doorway of the Crystal Point. It was an unnecessary gesture since only two walls of the structure and no roof remained. Sailor Uranus and Akumu helped Umino clear away some of the wreckage and uncover the main console of the Point.

"See?" Umino said, pointing to the console. "The demons missed this, the main operating center of the Point. They might as well have just left the place whole."

"Can you fix it?" Uranus asked in a weak voice. She sat on some rubble and passed a hand over her pale face. Akumu watched her worriedly.

"Probably," Umino answered, "but the power source is off line."

"What's the power source?" Akumu asked.

"The senshi who raised the Shield," Umino said sadly. "If the Point can't detect the power source, it must mean the senshi are dead."

"What about the cylinder?" Sailor Moon said. "It has the life essences of the inner senshi."

Umino brightened. "Great! I can use that to reactivate the Shield once I get these wires sorted out, but it won't do us any good with the western point down."

"Two Points fell?" Uranus asked.

Umino nodded. "That's why the resistance has put up such a fight to keep the other three intact. It's no problem, really. I just need time to fix both. If the western point isn't as badly damaged as this one, it should be a breeze."

"How much time?" Uranus said.

"A day or two," Umino replied. "Then we have to travel to the west."

"We only have until nightfall," Uranus told him. 

Umino paled. "Then I better stop talking and start working."

Uranus said nothing as the man disappeared under the console. The elder senshi reached up and gingerly touched her bandaged arm. Akumu saw her wince and took a step forward. Uranus turned to look at her, and her eyes were enough of a warning to keep Akumu at bay.

The hours ticked by…

********

"Done," Umino said breathlessly.

The senshi and Umino had been in the Point all night and all of the following day. Umino had worked without rest for the entire time and had manage to complete his task by Uranus's harsh deadline.

Sailor Uranus nodded and stood. She had rested for much of the time and looked almost like her old self. "We have to hurry to the western point. It's almost nightfall."

"What about this Point?" Akumu asked. "The demons might notice it's working now."

"I'll stay and guard it," Saturn volunteered. "You go on with Umino to the west and when you're done there, call me and we'll meet at the palace."

Sailor Uranus considered the request for a moment and nodded. "You call if anything goes wrong. We'll get here as quickly as possible."

Sailor Saturn nodded and tightened the hold on her glaive. Sailor Moon looked near tears as she embraced her friend. Saturn smiled bravely and waved as the newly formed foursome left the north and headed west.

The shadows were deepening and Umino was looking more and more nervous, despite being surrounded by senshi. Akumu watched the man warily, knowing they could not succeed without him, but wondering how he would react if they were attacked. 

Suddenly, she got the answer she was looking for.

Half a dozen demons burst from the shadows and rushed at the group. Sailor Uranus pushed Akumu and Umino to one side as she and Sailor Moon faced the demons. Umino crouched behind Akumu and the girl fingered her transformation pen. They watched the two senshi battle the demons, but it quickly became apparent that they would not defeat all six alone. Swallowing her fear, Akumu realized she had to fulfill the responsibility she had already accepted.

"Stay here," she said finally.

"Where are you going?" Umino asked.

"To help," Akumu replied.

"How?" Umino wondered.

Akumu held up her transformation pen and winked at Umino.

"Darkness of Night, Transform!" she called.

In a flash, Akumu was gone and Sailor Nyx stood in her place. Umino gasped in shock as the new senshi leapt into the fray, her eyes glowing white. As she fought with the demons, she could feel the Fury aching to be released. She suppressed the emotion, knowing that if she lost control it could mean doom for her friends and their mission. 

When half the demons had been destroyed, Sailor Uranus looked over her shoulder to Sailor Moon.

"Go to the Point!" she shouted. "Get started and we'll meet you there if we can."

"But," Sailor Moon began.

"Take Umino and run!" Uranus ordered.

Without another word, Sailor Moon grabbed Umino by the wrist and picked up the cylinder in the other hand. The two of them disappeared into the night.

"World Shaking!" Sailor Uranus called.

Another demon vanished from the attack. Sailor Uranus fell to one knee, holding her head in one hand. Sailor Nyx gasped and concentrated her powers. She lifted into the air and stared at the two remaining demons with her white eyes.

"Nightmare Revelation!" she exclaimed.

The whispering white figures materialized from every shadow and converged on the two confused demons. They tried to run, but the figures followed and eventually consumed them. Sailor Nyx floated back to the ground and blinked, her eyes resuming their normal colour.

"Uranus!" she gasped.

"Just a little dizzy," Uranus replied. "I'm fine."

"We have to go," Nyx said, "Sailor Moon is waiting."

Uranus nodded when another sharp needle of pain pierced through her head. She felt absolute terror and knew it was not from her.

"Michiru," she whispered.

Sailor Nyx blinked in confusion.

"We have to go to the palace," Sailor Uranus said. "Hurry!"

The elder senshi took off at a run, with Sailor Nyx only a few paces behind.

********

Sailor Moon and Umino found the western Point in fair condition. No demons guarded it and most of the exterior remained in tact. Cautiously, the two people slipped inside and Umino got to work. 

Less than an hour later, he emerged from beneath the main console with a triumphant smile on his face. He took a deep breath and stood.

"Whoever destroyed this place did a lousy job," he commented. "They didn't even touch this console."

"You're done already?" Sailor Moon asked.

Umino nodded and held out his hand for the cylinder. Sailor Moon gave it to him and flicked open her communicator.

"Hotaru-chan," she called.

"Yes?" Sailor Saturn's voice replied.

"We're done here and we're turning on the Shield. Meet us at the palace," Sailor Moon informed her.

"Gotcha," Saturn answered. "See you in a few minutes."

Umino pushed the cylinder into the appropriate slot and smiled at Sailor Moon. 

"Cross your fingers, Princess," he said.

Umino flicked a few switches and the console hummed into life.

********

The two senshi burst through the palace like a tornado. Sailor Uranus had her sword drawn and hacked anything that got in her way to pieces. Nyx followed as best she could, annihilating anything Uranus missed with her own powers. She could not understand the girl's sudden desire to storm the palace when their previous plan would have worked much better, but followed because she knew Uranus could not go alone.

They met no resistance in the audience hall, and Sailor Uranus didn't even pause to regroup as she kicked down the door to the Shield room and ran inside.

The room was filled with demons. In the calm before the action began, Sailor Nyx was able to see where everyone was in the room. Queen Serenity and King Endymion were stuck in a corner, surrounded by ten guards. The desk in the opposite corner that used to hold Endymion's legal documents now held three cages, one of which was empty and the other two contained Luna and Artemis. The four inner senshi were locked in crystal in the center of the room, and five other senshi were chained to the wall opposite the king and queen. Abyss stood in front of Sailor Neptune, holding a strange crystal gun at her chest. As the was about to squeeze the trigger, Sailor Uranus leapt into action.

Uranus brushed aside the first few demons as if they were nothing more than insects as she rushed to Abyss. Her space sword flashed as the attack struck Abyss, but did no damage. The purple haired woman turned her head and smiled at Uranus as she pulled the trigger of the gun.

"No!" Sailor Uranus yelled.

Sailor Neptune cried out as a beam of black energy struck her through the chest. At the back of the gun, a small glass cylinder began to fill with an aquamarine coloured vapor. The blast would have thrown Neptune backwards had she not been chained to the wall, but instead made her body arch before going limp. Abyss laughed and held up a hand as Uranus flew towards her.

Sailor Uranus struck the shield of dark energy and fell to the ground, tears of anger pouring down her cheeks. She looked up at Neptune, who hung lifelessly from her chains.

"Damn you," Uranus snarled.

Abyss laughed and pointed the gun to Uranus. "Care to join her?"

"Not so fast," Sailor Nyx said.

The girl walked the few steps to the center of the room and lifted her hands above her head. Her eyes turned completely white and she rose off the floor.

"Nightmare Revelation!" she called.

The demons looked around the room in worry. Whispers called to them, teasing them before they attacked. The worst dreams of every demon in the room began to come true, and a few cried out as they were consumed. Having purged the room of demons, Nyx then turned to Abyss.

"You will return what is not yours," Nyx said. 

Abyss backed out slowly to the door and aimed the gun from Uranus to Queen Serenity. Nyx's white eyes narrowed, and a white mist began to swirl around her feet in a fast circle.

"Night Fury Attack!" Sailor Nyx cried.

The swirling mist shot into the air, engulfing the senshi momentarily. When the mist dissipated, Sailor Nyx was gone and the Fury stood in her place. Abyss's eyes widened in fear and the Fury lunged at her.

Abyss turned and fled, still holding the crystal gun. The Fury raced after her, through the halls of the palace and out into the grounds. Abyss called for her dragon, and the huge beast that had been guarding the captive citizens in the training arena raised its head and belched out flames. The Fury was consumed, but unaffected as she hunted her prey. Abyss finally whirled around and fired her gun.

The beam of black energy did not strike the Fury in the chest, but lower down in the abdomen, too low to extract her essence. The beam did, however, knock the Fury out cold and transformed her back into Kuusou Akumu.

"Interesting," Abyss murmured.

The purple haired woman leapt onto the dragon's back and the enormous beast lifted itself into the air. At Abyss's command, it snatched up the fallen Akumu in one huge talon and they began to wing their way into the sky.

The Asteroid senshi and King Endymion exited the palace in time to see the dragon pick up Akumu. At that instant, the Shield began to rise from the ground up, picking up speed as it went. For a moment, Endymion believed that Abyss would not escape. As the Shield neared the dragon's height, the beast picked up speed and escaped the Shield. The dome closed at the top and Endymion and the Asteroid senshi could do nothing but watch Abyss escape with Akumu.

********

The Shield Room was empty. Queen Serenity had left with Luna and Artemis to greet Chibiusa and Hotaru, who had just arrived in the audience hall. King Endymion and the four Asteroid Senshi had ran off in pursuit of Abyss and Akumu. All that remained were the four entombed senshi and a woman with a broken heart.

Sailor Uranus knelt on the ground, holding the body of Sailor Neptune in her arms. The aquamarine girl was without life, her skin cold and her breathing stopped. Haruka stared at her serene face and allowed the tears to fall. Michiru, her love, her life, was gone.


	9. Pythia

PYTHIA

Queen Serenity crouched on the floor of the Shield room next to Sailor Uranus, who clutched the body of Sailor Neptune tightly to her chest. The strange weapon of Abyss had killed the aquamarine senshi, stealing her life essence and leaving the empty shell of her body behind. Sailor Uranus wept openly, cradling her partner and lover tenderly in her arms. To one side, Sailor Moon, Sailor Saturn, Umino, Luna, and Artemis stood and watched, each consumed in grief. They had returned to find Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune on the floor, the momentary joy of their freedom gone with the realization of its cost.

King Endymion and the Asteroid senshi returned to the Shield room and Diana struggled free of Endymion's gentle hold to return to her parents. Sailor Uranus lowered her head, burying it in Neptune's hair. Endymion tapped his wife on the shoulder and held out the Silver Crystal. Serenity took it and nodded to her husband.

"Let me try," Serenity said, gently moving Uranus aside.

She held the Crystal over Neptune. "Moon Crystal Healing!"

The shimmering white light of the Crystal fell over Neptune and Uranus. The group paused a moment, waiting.

"Nothing," Uranus said, shaking her head.

Sailor Moon gasped and pointed to Uranus's arm. The claw marks and poison of the demon had disappeared, healed by the Crystal's gentle light. Sailor Uranus looked down at her arm, but her sorrowful expression did not change.

"If I may, your Majesty," Umino interrupted. 

Serenity nodded to him.

"The device Abyss used was similar in design to the Shield. If the body of Lady Neptune can be kept, we should be able to return her life essence to her."

"Like when I was dying and Papa used his energy to save me," Sailor Moon said.

Uranus nodded, holding Neptune's cold hand. "Anything to bring her back to me."

Serenity passed her Crystal over their bodies again, and a thin golden chain formed, linking Uranus's clasped hand to Neptune's. The chain emanated a faint light and Uranus closed her eyes. 

"I can feel it," she said. "Thank you."

"Your life essences are now one," Umino said. "Lady Uranus will have to conserve as much of her energy as possible to keep both of them alive."

Queen Serenity nodded and looked up at the crystal that still contained her friends. "If only I could do something for them."

As if in answer to her prayer, the crystal that imprisoned the senshi cracked and vanished. The four inner senshi stumbled free and fell to their knees. The other people in the room blinked in shock.

Sailor Jupiter lifted her head and smiled weakly. "Hi everyone, did we miss anything?"

********

Queen Serenity and Princess Usagi walked down the halls of the Crystal palace. They had just finished checking in on the inner senshi who were resting in their rooms. The four women had been in stasis for so long, it seemed to be taking a while for them to readjust to being alive again. Ami assured the worried queen that they would be fine in a few days.

Haruka and Michiru had been placed in their rooms as well, and both girls lay on their large bed. Haruka slept peacefully, heeding Umino's advice and conserving her strength. Hotaru was with them, sitting beside their bed in a silent vigil.

King Endymion and the Asteroid Senshi had freed the trapped citizens of Crystal Tokyo from the training arena where Abyss had kept them. Now, the four senshi and the remaining palace guards were purging the city of the leftover demons who had not already fled into the mountains. While Ami rested, Umino had taken over preparations to repair the two destroyed Crystal Points as well as the rest of the city. After a long, hard battle, it seemed as if life were getting back to normal.

Usagi finished telling her mother of their time in the northern mountains. Serenity listened, carefully hiding her worry behind a gentle smile. As her daughter talked, Serenity wondered how she had grown up so fast and what happened to the baby she had held in her arms.

"Mama?" Usagi said. "Are you okay?"

Serenity brought her attention back to the present. "Yes, dear. I was just thinking about when you were a baby."

Usagi blushed. "Mama," she said in embarrassment.

Serenity laughed. "I'm sorry, darling. I'm just so proud of you."

Usagi smiled and curtseyed. "Thank you, Majesty."

Serenity inclined her head. "Your welcome, Small Lady. Shall we go see what Abyss left in the kitchens? It's been a while since any of us had a descent meal."

"You're not going to cook, are you?" Usagi asked cautiously.

Serenity opened her mouth to chastise her daughter, then laughed again. "No, I think we deserve something edible."

Usagi laughed as well. "I love you, Mama."

"I love you too, Chibiusa."

********

Luna walked past the open door of the Shield room. In the few days since the senshi were freed, no one had felt the need to enter the room again, and so it remained a mess. Luna made a mental note to ask someone to clean it when the palace was re-staffed. Since Abyss's departure, most of the remaining citizens of Crystal Tokyo had been assigned to working and cleaning details in the city, leaving the palace itself seriously understaffed. Suppressing a shudder as she thought of the days spent in the small cage, Luna continued down the hallway.

"Crystal Tokyo, please respond," a voice said.

Luna paused and peeked into the small chamber next to the Shield room. The voice was coming from the small console used to monitor calls coming into or out of the city. The room was dark, but a white light emanated from one of the computer screens. Luna stepped into the room and leapt onto the table.

"This is Crystal Tokyo," Luna answered. 

A face materialized on the screen. It was of a woman with red eyes and red hair that hung from beneath her crown-like hat in long, looping pigtails. She had orange flowers in her hair and an orange flower mark on her forehead. She smiled at Luna.

"Greetings, Luna," she said. "This is Princess Kakyuu."

Luna dipped her head in greeting. "How are you, Highness?"

Kakyuu smiled. "Faring better than you, I think. We heard here on Kinmokusei of your trouble with the Black Moon clan, but were unable to send reinforcements to help you."

"We managed to get rid of the woman who was plaguing us," Luna replied. "If you like, I can find Queen Serenity and . . ."

"No need," Kakyuu interrupted. "We are many light years from Earth and I have already sent some supplies your way. It should reach you in a few weeks."

Luna bowed her head. "Many thanks, Highness."

"My call," Kakyuu continued, "is of a different nature. As you are aware, we have granted the former senshi Galaxia asylum on a planet in our solar system."

Luna nodded, not speaking but listening intently.

"The woman known as Abyss was seen heading toward that planet, riding a huge dragon," Kakyuu concluded. "I have alerted the guardian of the planet, but thought you might like to know as well."

"Was anyone with her?" Luna inquired.

Kakyuu frowned in thought. "Now that you mention it, I remember hearing something about a girl traveling with Abyss. I assumed she was Abyss's servant."

Luna shook her head. "A hostage. Thank you very much, Princess Kakyuu. Queen Serenity and the senshi will be anxious to hear of this news."

Kakyuu dipped her head and the screen went black. Once again in darkness, Luna sat for a moment in thought. Akumu was alive and with Abyss, heading for the planet where the most powerful senshi in the universe lived in quiet exile. Luna leapt from the desk and darted from the room, hoping to find Serenity and the others together.

********

Queen Serenity and King Endymion sat in the small lounge where the Planetary ladies usually met. Princess Usagi and Hotaru stood to one side with Artemis and Diana, while the inner senshi sat together on the large couch. The four women were still weak from their ordeal inside the crystal, but insisted on joining the meeting. The Asteroid senshi were still patrolling the city, leaving Haruka and Michiru as the only two not present.

Luna stood in front of the assembled nobles and repeated the conversation she had had with Princess Kakyuu. The black cat saw a flicker of hope pass over Usagi's face as the princess heard that Akumu still lived, but at the same moment, Queen Serenity's face became clouded when she learned where Abyss was headed.

"What is the name of that planet?" Serenity asked.

"Pythia," Ami replied. "I believe it is the fifth or sixth planet away from the sun."

"And it can still support life?" Endymion asked.

"Their sun is much bigger than ours," Ami said, her voice sounding very tired. "The first two planets are too hot for life, the third planet is made of gas, and the fourth planet is Kinmokusei."

"We have to go save Akumu," Usagi cried.

"The planet's guardian has already been alerted," Luna told her. "There is nothing more we can do."

"Except provide backup," Makoto disagreed. "Maybe Pythia's guardian will need help."

"Pythia is renowned for its peaceful existence," Ami added. "I believe that is why Princess Kakyuu allowed Galaxia to live there."

"What would Abyss want with Galaxia?" Rei asked.

"The technology to capture Star Seeds?" Minako said with a shudder. She, like all the other senshi, had gone through the painful death of having her Star Seed ripped from her body.

"I think we should send a force to help Pythia's guardian," Usagi declared. "If Abyss is using Akumu, the guardian may accidentally kill Akumu in the process."

Endymion nodded and Serenity sighed. 

"How will we get there?" Hotaru asked.

"Sailor Teleport," Rei replied. "It's the only way."

Serenity shook her head. "No way. You four are the only ones who can use the Teleport and I'm not sending you away again."

"We have to, Usagi-chan," Makoto said. "Chibiusa is right. We need to stop Abyss once and for all. This is not Pythia's fight; it's ours."

"We'll be fine," Rei added. "We'll leave in a day or so after we're all rested."  
Serenity squirmed in her seat. "But you need five to teleport."

"I'll go with them," Chibiusa declared. "It was my idea."

"No way," this time it was Endymion who protested. "I think you've had enough adventure for a while."

"But Papa" Chibiusa whined.

"I think she has to come," Ami interrupted. 

All eyes swung to the blue haired senshi of ice. Ami blushed slightly from the sudden attention, but continued.

"We need the Princess's energy to find our way back here. Without her, we may be lost in space."

Usagi smiled at Ami and turned back to her parents. Her red eyes were large and pleading. Endymion and Serenity exchanged a look.

"We'll watch out for her," Minako promised.

"Like we always had to watch out for you, Usagi-chan," Rei added.

Serenity sighed. "Very well. The five of you will travel to Pythia in two days."

Princess Usagi cheered and hugged Hotaru, who did not look as pleased as her friend.

********

Abyss circled the continent twice on her dragon. The planet was not very large, being composed mostly of water, and had only three small island land masses. The water around the continents was dotted with smaller islands and Abyss was sure that Galaxia lived on one. 

The dragon swooped down again, skimming over vast farmlands. The planet was largely isolated and well protected by Kinmokusei, and so lacked the large cities Kakyuu's planet held. Pythia, known for its peaceful lifestyle, was populated mostly by farmers and monks. Abyss smiled to herself. What a perfect location for the woman who had nearly conquered the galaxy.

Abyss looked over her shoulder to the girl seated behind her. During their long flight, Abyss had drugged her hostage to make her easier to control. She knew the powers of Night were still unchecked and hated to think what would happen to her if Akumu suddenly disappeared and was replaced by the Fury. Now the blue haired prisoner was docile and emotionless, the drug causing her to follow Abyss's orders blindly. The purple haired woman's smile grew broader. Perhaps she had not lost yet after all. 

"There," Abyss told her dragon, pointing to a small clearing in the center of a large forest.

Dutifully, the dragon began its descent. The forest was perfect; close enough to the farms to find food, close enough to the islands to find Galaxia. As Abyss and Akumu dismounted and sent the dragon away, Abyss inhaled the fresh air of the planet Pythia and began her plan.

********

Sailor Moon joined hands with Sailor Mercury and Sailor Mars, and winked to Hotaru. Sailor Venus and Jupiter completed the circle as they stood in the courtyard of the palace in preparation for their journey. A crowd of citizens had gathered to watch the legendary Teleport and the Asteroid senshi did their best to keep the spectators at bay.

"Good luck," Queen Serenity told her friends. 

"Five of us against one of them," Jupiter said. "I like those odds."

"Don't get cocky," Mars warned.

The five senshi closed their eyes in concentration. An eerie calm filled the courtyard and the mumbling crowd grew silent. The hair and uniforms of the five senshi began to float as if a calm wind had suddenly risen from their feet.

"Sailor Teleport!" Luna called.

A cylinder of blue light encompassed the five senshi and the concrete at their feet buckled and broke. The senshi rose into the air before being transformed into five streaks of light. The beams disappeared into the sky in a flash and the broken concrete slammed back into the ground. The show over, the crowd began to disperse, but Queen Serenity and King Endymion remained, looking up at the sky.

"Come home safely," Serenity whispered.

********

Hours later, the five beams of light reformed their carriers on a distant planet. The senshi let go of each others hands and looked around their new environment. Sailor Mercury tapped her earring, causing her visor to materialize over her eyes. Sailor Jupiter and Sailor Venus kept Sailor Moon between them as their eyes scanned the horizon. Sailor Mars closed her eyes in concentration, stretching her senses for an evil presence.

"Guys," Sailor Moon said finally. "We're on a farm."

The five senshi straightened. They were standing on a well worn path surrounded by tall crops. In the distance was a forest and directly behind them the ground sloped gently uphill and quickly faded into mountains.

"Now what?" Sailor Venus asked.

"I guess we search for the guardian of this planet," Sailor Mars said. 

She picked a direction and started walking. Suddenly, from out of the vegetation came dozens of figures. They had the heads and scaly skin of snakes but their lower bodies were of men and women. They stuck out their tongues at the newcomers and hissed. 

"Uh oh," Sailor Moon commented.

For an instant, they were at a stalemate. Then one of the serpent men hissed sharply and lunged at Sailor Jupiter. The senshi reacted with a swift kick to the being's nose and it fell back, hissing angrily. It went downhill from there.

Three serpents launched themselves at Sailor Mars. She threw them off with almost as much grace as Jupiter, pushing one to the ground. Five more were tackling Jupiter and the remaining ten or so had surrounded Venus, Moon, and Mercury.

"Shabon Spray!" Sailor Mercury called.

The serpent men became lost in fog. Sailor Mercury motioned for the other senshi to follow her and they ran away from the fight. As the fog cleared, the serpent men caught sight of them escaping and pursued them.

"Venus Love and Beauty Shock!" Sailor Venus cried.

Her heart shaped attack struck several of the creatures, knocking them out of view into the crops that surrounded them. 

"Mars Flame Sniper!" Sailor Mars called.

Her flame arrow missed its mark, but struck the plants, igniting them. The snake people quickly forgot about their enemies and began to try and put out the flames. The senshi used this opportunity to escape.

All of a sudden, an arrow embedded itself in the path at their feet. The five senshi skidded to a halt and looked around for the archer.

"Freeze!" a voice said.

A figure materialize out of the crops. She was tall, with long red hair streaked with gold and had green eyes. She wore a senshi uniform with a black collar and bows, white skirt and choker, and a gray bodice. She did not have a tiara like the other senshi. Instead, her gray gem seemed to grow from her forehead. She held a bow in one hand and had a quiver of arrows on her back.

As she stepped out into the open, she nocked another arrow to her bow and aimed it at the senshi.

"Who are you and why are you destroying our crops?" she demanded to know.

"We're sailor senshi from Crystal Tokyo, on the planet Earth," Sailor Venus explained. "We're here to stop - "

"I know why you're here," the mystery senshi said. "I want to know why you were destroying our crops."

"We were attacked," Sailor Jupiter said angrily.

Three snake men appeared beside the archer and hissed to her. She listened, never taking her eyes off the five senshi before her, and nodded to him. 

"Come with me," she said, turning on her heel.

"Who are you?" Sailor Mars asked.

The senshi looked back over her shoulder. "I am the guardian of the planet Pythia, Sailor Apollo."

********

Akumu stood mutely to one side as Abyss opened the portal to the demon planet. Long ago, the purple haired woman of the Black Moon clan had discovered the way to the demon's world and since then, they had agreed to serve her. Abyss stepped aside as several dozen small demons came through. Akumu blinked slowly as she watched. She knew something was not right, but her brain could not fathom what it was. Her mind felt thick and heavy, and it took all of her concentration just to remain awake.

Abyss was giving her small demon army orders, pointing into the forest. The demons listened intently and dispersed into the trees and out of view. Abyss turned to the tent she had erected and picked up her crystal gun. The purple haired woman made a few slight modifications to it, removing the glass cylinder on one end and replacing it with a black sphere. Part of Akumu wondered what was happening, but the rest of her really didn't care.

"Come here," Abyss ordered.

Dutifully, Akumu obeyed. Abyss held up the gun and pointed it to Akumu's chest. The girl blinked dumbly but didn't move.

"I accessed some of the files in the palace at Crystal Tokyo," Abyss said. "I read something there about the Witches Five and their desire to capture pure heart crystals. I realized that what I needed to fulfill my goal was one with a pure heart, but I had no idea how to find such a person."

She sighted the gun at Akumu. "Fortunately, the technology was easy to duplicate. For your sake, you better hope I did it right."

The gun fired. Akumu cried out as a beam of black energy exploded in her chest. Her eyes opened widely as something grasped her heart and pulled. With a final breath, Akumu fell to the ground, her unseeing eyes staring into the surrounding forest.

********

The red headed Sailor Apollo brought the five intruding senshi along a steep path leading up the mountain side. Several of the snake people followed them, surrounding the senshi and keeping them on the path. The five senshi tried to speak to the mysterious Sailor Apollo several times, but she always ignored them. The group lapsed into silence.

After several minutes, the path began to descend, and a large valley opened up before them. The valley floor had a wide river running through it with several small fishing boats gliding up and down its deep blue surface. The land surrounding the river was full of vegetation; fruit orchards, animal farms, cereal crops, and every other kind of food imaginable. In the center of the valley, rising up over all the other small buildings, was an enormous temple. 

"What's that?" Sailor Mars asked without thinking.

"The great Pythian temple," Sailor Apollo replied, much to the surprise of the senshi.

"What's in it?" Sailor Moon wondered.

Apollo turned to face them, her green eyes flashing angrily. "More secrets than you could ever dream of, child."

Sailor Moon opened her mouth to defend herself, but Sailor Mercury shook her head sharply. Insulted, Sailor Moon was quiet and the group continued their journey into the valley.

********

It was sunset when they finally reached the massive doors of the Pythian temple. The five senshi were all hungry and tired, but Apollo showed no signs of either. The doors opened for her and the newcomers saw more of the serpent men, dressed in brown monk's robes. They bowed to Apollo as she lead the group inside, and the doors closed silently behind them.

"Take them to the dungeon," Apollo ordered. "They will stand trial at day break for their crimes."

"What?" Sailor Jupiter exclaimed. 

"How dare you!" Sailor Mars added.

"Is this how you treat guests?" Sailor Venus asked.

Apollo whirled around. The serpent monks seemed to melt into the shadows, leaving the six senshi alone. The five newcomers stared defiantly at their hostess.

"I treat guests with the utmost respect," Apollo answered. "You five, however, are not welcomed visitors. You are intruders from another planet, meddling in things that do not concern you. You arrived unannounced, attacked the farmers who were minding their own business, and set our crops ablaze! On this planet, that is the work of criminals. You will all stand trial."

Before the senshi could protest again, the serpent monks surrounded them and began ushering them down some stairs. Sailor Mercury looked over her shoulder and the last thing she saw was Sailor Apollo watching them go.

********

Akumu woke when the sky was dark and full of unfamiliar stars. Two moons lit up the sky brightly and the former thief could hear her captor behind her. Her mind felt unusually clear, and Akumu suspected that the effects of the drug had worn off. She lay unmoving, listening to Abyss.

"What do you mean, you can't find it?" Abyss was saying.

"We searched the closest islands," the demon replied. "We snuck into villages at night, but found nothing. The Sword is not here."

_Sword?_ Akumu thought.

Abyss sighed. "I have given you a week and this is the best you can do?"

_A week!_ Akumu nearly gasped. _How long have I slept?_

"There is one place we cannot get to," the demon said hopefully. "A temple in a mountain valley."

"Why can't you go there?" Abyss demanded.

"The guardian of this planet resides there," the demon answered. "Her power is too great, and she is well protected."

"Well protected?" Abyss repeated. "The Sword must be with the guardian. We will prepare for an attack immediately. Recall the rest of my army. We will march at sunrise."

Akumu heard the demon scamper off. She heard Abyss rise to her feet and come closer. Akumu squeezed her eyes shut, but could not help by cry out when Abyss delivered a sharp kick to her side.

"You're alive," Abyss said emotionlessly. "At least the weapon works."

Akumu didn't move. Abyss muttered something and the blue haired girl felt the familiar haziness of the drug fill her mind. Desperately, she struggled against its hold, but there was nothing she could do.

"Sleep," Abyss ordered.

Unable to fight it, Akumu obeyed.

********

After only a few hours rest in a dark, damp cell, five armed serpent monks and one unarmed one came to wake the senshi for their trial. Jupiter and Mercury had been put in one cell, with the other three in a separate cell across the hall. The monks, all dressed in brown robes except the unarmed one, guarded the only exit from the dungeon.

"Peace," the white robed monk said.

Mercury blinked. "You speak our language?"

"A little," the monk said. His accent had an underlying hissing sound but was intelligible. 

"Let us out of here!" Jupiter demanded.

The monk held up his hands. They were scaly and had only four fingers each.

"Peace," the monk said again. "You must prepare for your trial. Please follow the guards."

The cells opened and the five senshi followed the armed guards back up the stairs. They entered the main hall where they had parted company with Apollo a few hours earlier, but were quickly brought into another room. The senshi gasped in surprise. The room contained three large, long, wooden tables laden with food. Most of the tables were already filled with brown robed serpent monks who were eating their morning meal.

"Please sit," the white monk said. "Eat."

The five senshi were brought to the end of a table. Sailor Moon noticed that the monks gave them a wide berth, cramming more than could comfortably fit onto other tables to avoid being near the criminals. She felt ashamed for their fear.

The meal consisted of fresh water, two slices of bread, and a thick vegetable soup. Half starved from the night in the dungeon, the senshi dug in, eating with gusto. Pleased, the white monk watched with a smile on his reptilian face.

"What is your name?" Sailor Venus asked after a while.

The white monk hissed a few syllables at her, then spread his hands helplessly. "I am sorry, but my name seems to be too complicated for human speech."

"What does Sailor Apollo call you?" Sailor Mercury asked.

The white monk's eyes widened. "The Priestess has never addressed me directly. Only those of the highest rank may speak with her."

Sailor Mars raised an eyebrow. "How nice of her."

"What should we call you, then?" Sailor Moon asked. "You seem very nice."

The white monk dipped his head in thanks. "You may call me what you wish."

Sailor Moon bit her lower lip in thought and looked over to Mercury for help. The blue senshi chewed her bread slowly as she thought.

"You gave us food for our health," Mercury said, "so how about we call you Tenki? It means good health in our language."

The white monk bowed. "It would be an honour to be so named."

A gong sounded from outside the room, and the brown robed monks began filing out. Tenki looked up sharply and hissed something in his own language. Two of the guards opened the doors and disappeared into the hall.

"I'm afraid time is up," Tenki said. "The sun is rising and the Priestess is waiting. The trial is about to commence."

********

Akumu rode behind Abyss on the back of a large, four footed demon-horse. Abyss had opened her portal several more times in the night and now, as the sun crested the eastern horizon, she lead her large demon army out of their forest hideout. A dozen of her smaller demons scouted ahead, killing any of the strange serpent men that got in their way. The army left a trail of destruction in its wake; trampled crops, burned farms, and dead bodies littered the path from the forest to the mountains.

Abyss turned around in her seat to look at Akumu. The blue haired girl stared back with heavy lidded eyes. The drug kept her brain inactive, which prevented her from feeling any emotion except contentment.

"Soon, my little prisoner," Abyss said, "you will serve your purpose. My day of destiny is at hand!"  
Part of Akumu registered this as a threat, that maybe once Akumu had done what Abyss asked she would be killed. That part of her brain, however, was unable to convince the rest of her mind, so Akumu only smiled lazily at her captor. Abyss laughed as the army advanced into the peaceful valley.

********

Tenki lead the senshi across the main hall to a large room on the far side. The room was enormous, with an altar in the center and a raised, cushioned seat against the back wall. The girl who must be Sailor Apollo sat on the cushions, no longer in her senshi uniform. She was cross legged, wearing priestess robes that were similar to the ones Rei had worn in her previous life. Her long, red hair flowed around her and the gray gem that should have remained part of her senshi uniform glistened on her forehead. Her eyes were closed and her hands clasped in prayer. 

At the base of the raised throne, ten brown robed serpent monks lay prostrate on the ground facing Apollo. Something was burning on the altar, but all that remained was smoldering ashes so none of the senshi could determine what it had once been.

Tenki bowed deeply to Apollo, his forehead nearly touching the ground as the gong sounded again. The priestess raised her head and opened her green eyes. Tenki straightened from his bow and the ten monks retreated to either side of the seat.

"Bring the accused forward," the priestess demanded.

Tenki motioned for the senshi to walk around the altar and stand before the priestess. The white robed monk remained where he was as the senshi complied.

"You are accused of invading, murder, and destruction," the priestess said. "How do you plead?"

"Innocent," Sailor Mars said.

The ten monks murmured among themselves. The priestess silenced them with a stern look. Her green eyes turned back to Sailor Mars, and she motioned for the girl to continue.

"We arrived on this planet seeking the help of its guardian," Sailor Mars continued. "We were following an escaped criminal from the Crystal Kingdom of Earth. We were told she was hiding on this planet and so, we teleported ourselves here to apprehend her."

"You did not come to the temple right away," one of the monks hissed.

"You did not seek out the proper authorities," another added.

Sailor Mars shot them dirty looks. "When we arrived, we found ourselves surrounded by your serpent men."

The monks hissed angrily at the label. Sailor Mars ignored them.

"We did not realize that the inhabitant of this planet were not human, so they surprised us. We remained defensive until one attacked Sailor Jupiter. Then we had no choice but to defend ourselves."

"You claim that the farmers started the fight?" the priestess said, one eyebrow raised questioningly.

Sailor Mars nodded.

"And because you feel you were defending yourself, that justifies burning our crops?"

"An unfortunate accident," Mars said, bowing. "We offer payment for the crops lost."

The priestess nodded thoughtfully, considering the stories. The brown robed monks began hissing at her imploringly, and she looked down at them to listen. Sailor Mars returned to her friends and the five senshi awaited their fate.

"It is my decision," the priestess announced after several minutes of deliberation, "that the intruders be imprisoned for their crimes. Ignorance of the law is no excuse."

Sailor Jupiter began protesting loudly, and Sailor Moon hid behind Sailor Venus. The five prisoners were surrounded by six armed guards, who escorted them from the room and back to the dungeon.

********

Makoto, Minako, Rei, Ami, and Chibiusa each sat in a separate cell. Their transformation pens had been taken away from them and they had been forced to revert to their normal state. They were fed and given water, but they were still in prison.

"What are we going to do now?" Chibiusa asked.

"We'll get out of this," Minako said confidently. 

"Maybe I can talk to her," Rei mused, "priestess to priestess."

"Maybe I can knock this rusty door down," Makoto snarled, slamming into the locked door with her shoulder.

One of the guards came over and hissed angrily at her, powering up his gun-like weapon. Makoto glared at him, but backed away from the metal bars.

"She's one of us," Chibiusa said sadly. "How can she throw us in prison like this? She's a senshi!"

"Not all senshi are as agreeable as we are," Ami remarked, thinking of Haruka, Michiru, and the troublesome Starlights.

The troubled group fell silent. Suddenly, the wall began to shake and some mortar fell to the ground in a dusty cloud. A large explosion sounded and the ground rolled again. A few of the guards raced up the stairs

"What's going on?" Chibiusa cried.

"If I didn't know better," Makoto replied, "I would guess that the temple is under attack."


	10. Sword

SWORD

The Priestess of the Pythian Temple walked along the walls, regarding her enemy coldly. She wore a flowing white robe, cinched at the waist with a black belt, and kept her hands hidden within the voluminous sleeves. A wind stirred, pulling her long red hair out behind her and whipping a few strands across her green eyes. She absentmindedly pushed her hair aside, the gray gem on her forehead shining dimly in the morning sun.

Before her, sprawled among the fields, were her attackers. She had no idea why or how they had come to this planet, but suspected the five prisoners had something to do with it. Perhaps they were all in this together, the five she held now merely a distraction while the larger force arrived. She cursed herself for being caught in so obvious a trap and spun around. Inside the temple courtyard, a few hundred brown robed serpent monks waited patiently for her commands. She sighed inwardly, knowing her followers were not warriors. She glanced over her shoulder back to the hostile army and frowned. Today would not be a day of life, but a day of death.

"My friends," she announced, facing her monks. "We have fallen on hard times. First, the five prisoners invaded our world, distracting us from this harsher threat."

The priestess gestured behind her to the massing army. A frightened murmur rippled through the assembled monks. The priestess raised her chin bravely, offering the others her strength. She opened her mouth to continue her speech when she heard someone beside her clear his throat. She turned to see her advisor in his red robe standing near her with another white robed monk behind him. Her advisor inclined his head when she faced him and the white robed monk fell to his knees, pressing his forehead on the ground. 

"What is it?" the priestess hissed in the serpent language.

"Mistress Kyn," her advisor said quietly, "this monk is the caretaker of the prisoners. He begs to speak with you directly."

Kyn frowned in thought and nodded. The red robed advisor clapped his hands and the white monk sprung to his feet, his head still bowed.

"You may speak," Kyn told him.

The monk known to the prisoners as Tenki bowed deeply and raised his head.

"Mistress," he said. "The prisoners offer you their services in the upcoming battle."

Kyn glanced quickly at her advisor, who shook his head slightly. The red haired priestess also had her reservations. The prisoners had distracted her and the monks long enough for the army to arrive at their gates, but now they offered help? 

"It's a trap," Kyn concluded. Tenki did his best to conceal his shocked expression. "Put as many guards as we can spare with them. They're up to something."

Tenki bowed again and backed away without rising. The priestess Kyn turned back to her monks, but the thought of the prisoners offering to help still puzzled her. What were these strange people up to?

********

As Tenki left the dungeon after delivering his news, Makoto punched the wall of the cell. Minako, who had been leaning on the same wall in her own cell, dashed aside as dirt and crumbling rocks fell on her.

"What are you doing in there?" Minako demanded.

"Punching the wall," Chibiusa, who was across from them, answered.

"Sorry," Makoto apologized. 

Above them, a faint cry was heard followed by a thunderous yell. It appeared as if the attack had finally come. The dungeon was rocked again by another explosion and the trapped senshi had to duck and cover to avoid being struck by falling rocks. Outside their cells, the ten guards watched them.

Rei shook her head sadly. "They won't stand a chance against Abyss and her demons. I don't think these monks have ever held a weapon before. They'll be slaughtered."

Ami sighed. "If I had my computer, I could scan for structural weaknesses. Perhaps we can still escape and help."

A louder explosion sounded and Chibiusa cried out in alarm as the ceiling caved in. All five senshi retreated to a corner of their cells as far from the wreckage as possible. When the dust cleared, they risked moving.

"Everyone okay?" Minako asked.

"I'm fine," Chibiusa coughed, "but the guards aren't."

"Oh dear," Ami said, looking at the ten guards who had been caught under the falling ceiling. "Are they - ?"

"I'm afraid so," Rei replied, shaking her head sadly. "What a waste of lives."

Suddenly, Makoto appeared in front of her cell. Rei nearly cried out in surprise as the tall senshi opened her cell door.

"Mako-chan!" Minako gasped. "How did you get out?"

"My door fell off when the ceiling fell," Makoto replied with a smile. "Not the neatest break, but it works!"

As Makoto freed Ami, her doctor instincts took over and she immediately checked all ten guards. Rei had been right; none of them were alive. 

"Come on," Minako called. "We have to help."

The five girls ran up the stairs as another explosion sounded.

********

Kyn watched her monks fall. The serpent men were not prepared for battle and lacked both training and proper weaponry. The priestess felt a piece of herself die each time a monk lost his life on the battlefield. 

They had met the demon's charge only a few hours ago but the tide had quickly turned in favour of the enemy. The monsters launched explosives at the thick temple walls and rapidly gained ground, eating the dead on both sides for energy. There seemed to be an unending wave of them coming from the mouth of the valley, but why such a host would attack the temple was beyond her. Far to the back, Kyn's keen eyes could make out a purple haired woman with a blue haired child beside her. Kyn's eyes steeled in anger. They must have started this attack.

The priestess reached behind her to the quiver of golden arrows she had strapped to her back. She drew one out, nocked it on her bow, and aimed it above her head.

"Make-Up!" she cried, releasing the arrow.

A few feet above her head, the arrow exploded into a shower of gold, transforming priestess Kyn into Sailor Apollo. The guardian senshi of the planet Pythia stood on the battlements in her black and white senshi uniform, high above the raging battle. The few monks who noticed her gave a cheer, but most were far too occupied with the battle. Sailor Apollo nocked another arrow and shot it into the fray. The golden projectile split into hundreds of razor sharp shard and sliced through the demons, passing the monks without injury. Apollo aimed another arrow, but before she could fire, she heard a cry behind her. She whirled around and saw a dozen flying demons entering the temple courtyard. They were carrying land-bound demons and dropping them into the courtyard, then swooping down to devour the monks. Apollo fired, piercing one winged demon through the neck. It fell screaming, and as Apollo watched it go down, she caught sight of another of her growing problems. 

The five prisoners had escaped.

Apollo nocked another arrow, aiming it at the fleeing pink haired child. She was about to loose it when the child cried out, throwing herself into a monk and knocking him aside as another demon swooped down. Astounded, Apollo watched the brown haired girl leap onto the fleeing demon and wrestle it to the ground. The black haired one had her head bowed in prayer as she flung a piece of paper at a demon, causing it to freeze so the monks could kill it. Sailor Apollo leapt from the wall, placing herself in front of the five strangers.

"What are you doing?" Apollo demanded, aiming an arrow at them.

"Helping," Makoto said breathlessly.

"Like we said we would," Minako added.

Sailor Apollo raised an eyebrow. "Why aren't you fighting my monks?"

Chibiusa blinked in confusion. "Why would we?"  
Apollo lowered her bow and shook her head. "I don't understand you strangers."

"If you gave us our transformation pens, we could help save the lives of your monks," Ami said gently.

Apollo raised her bow, pointing the arrow at Ami's heart. "No, you're trying to trick me. As soon as I give you your weapons, you'll turn on me and my monks."

Rei sighed. "If we wanted to hurt your monks, we would have let the demons eat them while we ran away."

"Instead we risked our necks to save them!" Makoto said angrily.

Apollo considered their words. The screams of the dying on the battlefield echoed around them.

"Your monks die each second you hesitate," Minako pointed out.

Apollo lowered her bow and pulled the pens out of her quiver. She hesitated another second, then thrust out her open hand toward the strangers. Gratefully, the five senshi took their transformation devices.

"Thank you," Chibiusa said. "Moon Prism Power, Make-Up!"

"Mars Crystal Power, Make-Up!"

"Mercury Crystal Power, Make-Up!"

"Jupiter Crystal Power, Make-Up!"

"Venus Crystal Power, Make-Up!"

Sailor Apollo watched in amazement as the five prisoners transformed into the five warriors she had caught before. When their transformations were complete, Apollo was able to look at them differently. They were all dressed similarly to her, only their leotards were white where hers was gray, and they had tiaras where her gem rested. 

"Where do you want us?" Sailor Venus asked.

Apollo blinked in shock. Looking at the blond senshi was almost like looking into a mirror. In their normal forms, Apollo had thought they could not have looked more different, yet as senshi, they could easily have passed as twins.

"I'm unaware of your military strengths," Apollo said. "Please fight the battle however you see fit, but the child will stay here with me."

Sailor Moon's eyes widened in surprise. "Why?"

"I need some reassurance that the others will return. If they start to fight my monks, I'll kill you."

The four inner senshi tensed, but said nothing. They hated to place the princess in danger, but knew it was the only way to gain the strange Pythian senshi's trust. Slowly, they nodded.

Sailor Apollo nodded grimly back, and motioned for Sailor Moon to follow her. With one frightened look back at her friends, the pink senshi did.

********

"Jupiter Oak Revolution!" Sailor Jupiter cried.

Three demons fell to her attack, and the five rescued monks hissed their thanks to her. Jupiter smiled and paused for an instant to catch her breath before another assault came. The four senshi had spread out through the battle, doing what they could to save the monks from the demons. They had been fighting for hours and, as the sun was beginning to set, there was no end in sight. 

"Mercury Aqua Rhapsody!" Sailor Mercury yelled.

Jupiter leapt aside as a stream of water rushed by her, taking several demons with it. The green senshi fought her way to her blue friend and Mercury smiled wearily.

"Some fun, huh?" Jupiter said with a grin.

"Sure," Mercury replied unenthusiastically. "As the sun sets, the demons will only get stronger. We should retreat into the temple and try to hold it from there until morning."

Jupiter nodded. "I'll contact Sailor Moon and she can inform Apollo."

Mercury nodded, then ducked as a giant flaming arrow shot past them and into the demons. Sailor Mars appeared, fighting fiercely.

"We're almost to Abyss," she cried over the fighting. "Should we try to get her?"

"When she's surrounded by an army?" Jupiter exclaimed. "I don't think that's wise."

"Contact Sailor Moon," Mercury pressed. "We don't have that much more time."

The red and blue senshi protected Jupiter as she flipped open her communications device to speak with the pink hostage. Quickly, Jupiter related the message and Sailor Moon nodded before signing off.

"Supreme Thunder!" Sailor Jupiter called, electrocuting several approaching demons. 

"Hang in there," Mercury told her friends. "I doubt we'll be getting much sleep tonight."

********

Sailor Apollo sounded the retreat and the monks fought their way to the temple gates. On the battlements, Sailor Apollo and Sailor Moon kept the demons away as the monks raced in. The four senshi were the last to enter, standing near the massive doors until they were certain all the monks were safe. As the gates closed, the demons hammered into the wall, and the senshi raced for the battlements.

"Hi!" Sailor Moon called over her shoulder as her four friends arrived. 

She leaned over the edge of the wall, holding her scepter at arm's length. "Pink Sugar Heart Attack!"

A few demons backed off as small pink hearts pelted them from above. They growled in annoyance until Apollo's arrows found their chests. 

"Venus Love-Me Chain!" Sailor Venus called.

Her orange chain whipped the demons closest to the wall, strangling some of them. A few monks joined the six senshi, throwing rocks and spears down at the masses. Eventually, the demons retreated and the defenders could rest.

Apollo placed strict patrols along the walls before she and the senshi went into the courtyard to deal with the injured. Sailor Mercury immediately took over and the monks obeyed her without question, knowing her responses to be the best. Sailor Venus and Sailor Moon offered to help, while Jupiter, Apollo, and Mars headed to the sheltered doorway of the temple to talk.

"How much food do you have?" Jupiter asked, watching the monks scurry around in the courtyard.

"Enough for a while," Apollo replied. "We also have a well of fresh water."

"We should still ration the food," Mars suggested.

"There are no longer as many mouths to feed," Apollo said somewhat sadly. "I had thought the attack was to free you, but the way you fought, I no longer doubt your loyalty."

"Thanks," Venus said as she walked past with some bandages. 

Apollo smiled. "I still don't understand why the demons are attacking here."

"That's what we would like to know as well," Mars said. "We thought Abyss would hide somewhere until things had blown over. We had no idea she would immediately form an army and start again."

"Abyss - is that the blue haired girl?" Apollo asked.

Sailor Moon looked up from a wounded monk and gasped in spite of herself. "That's Akumu!"

Sailor Apollo seemed confused. As quickly as she could, Sailor Mars explained the recent events of Earth to the red haired senshi. Sailor Apollo nodded in understanding.

"I didn't see any restraints on this - Sailor Nyx, was it? Perhaps she has joined forces with Abyss after all," Apollo mused.

"Akumu would never do that!" Sailor Moon cried.

"Chibiusa-chan, come here please," Mercury called from across the courtyard. 

Still angry at Apollo's accusation, Sailor Moon moved away from the monk she had been treating to Mercury's side. 

"I seem to have offended the child," Apollo said quietly.

Sailor Mars smiled. "She and Akumu are close friends, that's all."

Apollo nodded. "I admit I find your story hard to believe. A thief girl saves your princess, becomes a senshi, and keeps running away?"

"It does sound odd," Jupiter said. "I hardly believed it myself when I heard it."

Apollo blinked in surprise. "You were not there while your city was under attack?"

"I was there," Jupiter said somewhat bitterly, "but I was trapped in a giant crystal for most of it."

Sailor Apollo was curious as to how she had ended up in a crystal, but ended the conversation when she saw how frustrated it made the green senshi. Instead, she turned her eyes to the walls where her monks patrolled. The sun had set and the walls were lit up with torches. Suddenly, a cry sounded.

"Looks like our break is over," Apollo said. "Come on."

Without a word, Sailor Mars and Sailor Jupiter followed Apollo to the walls. Venus, Moon, and Mercury rose to join them, but Apollo waved them aside.

"Stay with the wounded. We will call if you are needed," Apollo ordered.

The three senshi nodded and returned to their work. 

The demons bombarded the temple walls with explosives and even their own bodies. Flying demons soared overhead only to be shot down by the defending monks. Land bound demons scrapped at the thick wooden doors and tried to climb the walls, but were repelled. 

The three senshi were in the middle of it. Sailor Apollo and Sailor Mars aimed their arrows at the sky, shooting down anything that flew. Sailor Jupiter helped the monks with the ground demons, pouring hot oil on them as they tried to scale the walls. When the night had thickened to midnight, a large dragon rose from the back of the army and soared into view. Apollo nocked an arrow.

"Wait!" Sailor Mars said.

Apollo hesitated as the dragon hovered near the temple walls. It remained a safe distance from the projectiles of the monks, but Apollo knew she could hit the purple haired woman who stood on the beast's back. Behind her, Akumu sat meekly.

"Give me what I want and we will leave you in peace," Abyss called.

Apollo sighted her arrow. "What is it you want?"

"The Sword," Abyss replied.

A collective gasp rose from the defending monks. Sailor Apollo loosed her arrow, but it bounced harmlessly off a shield Abyss had erected around herself. Hearing Abyss' voice, Sailor Moon rose from her work and headed to the walls.

"You could never possess the Sword," Apollo yelled.

"What Sword?" Sailor Mars whispered to Jupiter. Her brown haired friend shrugged.

"Give it to me, or you will all die!" Abyss snarled.

"Why doesn't your friend strike her down?" Apollo demanded quietly to the senshi.

"I don't know," Sailor Mars replied, bowing her head in concentration, "but I'm getting more negative energy from Abyss than usual. Maybe Akumu is under a spell of some sort."

"Can you break it?" Jupiter asked.

"Not with that shield raised around them," Mars answered.

Apollo paused in thought for a moment. "The Sword is not here."

"What?!" Abyss shrieked. "You dare joke in a time like this?"

"I never joke," Apollo replied. "You will not find the Sword within these walls."

"Where is it?" Abyss asked angrily.

Sailor Apollo remained silent. Abyss waited a moment, but it soon became clear from the senshi's stance that she would not answer.

"Fine," Abyss said. "If you won't tell me where to find it, I'll just destroy your puny temple and search on my own."

"She's loosing her concentration," Mars murmured, fingering her sacred paper. "Keep it up."

"You can't destroy my temple," Apollo called. "You've been trying all day."

Abyss's face turned red with anger and she shook her fist at Apollo, who stood coolly on the walls. Sailor Mars watched intently, waiting for her moment. Unnoticed by the defending senshi, Sailor Moon moved to stand silently behind them.

"I will destroy your temple," Abyss yelled. "I will kill all your monks while you watch, then I will kill you!"

"Now!" Apollo snapped.

"Evil Spirits Begone!" Sailor Mars cried, whipping her parchment at the dragon. 

"Akumu-chan!" Sailor Moon exclaimed.

The piece of paper struck Akumu on the forehead and the girl blinked as if clearing her head. Abyss gave a shrill yelp of surprise as Akumu looked around her. 

"Akumu!" Sailor Jupiter called from the walls. "Transform!"

Akumu looked down to the temple and saw her friends standing there. She felt as if she had just woken from a long dream, but she had no idea what she was waking to. Before she could get her thoughts together, Abyss had the crystal gun pointing at her chest. From the wall, Sailor Moon gasped in terror.

"I stole your heart once," Abyss snarled. "I can do it again."

Akumu's eyes widened in fear. The dragon began to turn, Akumu stared down to her friends one last time as the dragon soared into the distance. As Abyss left, her demons disappeared with her until all that remained with the rising sun was the devastated battle field.

********

Sailor Apollo lead the exhausted senshi into the temple proper, letting the serpent monks clean up the mess of the battle. They passed through the great hall and into a small side door on the opposite side of the entrance to the dungeon. The senshi realized they must have passed this door on the way to their trial, but had not noticed it until Sailor Apollo swung it open.

Inside was beautifully decorated with thick carpets on the floor and rich tapestries on the walls. A single bed was tucked into the far corner and a desk and chair against the other wall. Sailor Apollo motioned for the girls to enter and sit. Sailor Moon and Sailor Venus sat on the floor, while Sailor Jupiter, Sailor Mercury, and Sailor Mars made themselves comfortable on the bed, leaving the chair free for their hostess. Apollo bent her head and closed her eyes in concentration, and her senshi uniform glowed white for an instant before reverting into her priestess gowns. The gray gem on her forehead remained, as did her quiver of arrows and bow. 

The priestess placed her weapons against the wall and the five alien senshi touched the gems of their tiaras, transforming themselves back into their human form.

"Thank you for helping me defend my home," the priestess said. "My name is Shinja Kyn."

"Hino Rei," Rei said. She motioned to her companions as she introduced them. "This is Aino Minako, Tsukino Usagi, Mizuno Ami, and Kino Makoto. Nice to meet you."

Kyn smiled and sat down on her chair. There was a knock at the door and Kyn called for the person to enter. It was Tenki, carrying a tray of food and drink.

"Forgive me, Mistress," Tenki hissed. "I thought you and the guests may be hungry."

Kyn nodded. "Set it down."

Tenki did as he was told and backed out of the room, not raising his head once to look at the senshi. Chibiusa watched the whole thing curiously, not understanding what had been said in the hissing serpent language. Kyn motioned for them to eat, and they gratefully helped themselves.

"I hope you forgive me for my earlier actions," Kyn continued. 

"We understand," Minako said. "If you had shown up on our planet unexpectedly, we probably would have reacted the same way."

"Why are you on this planet?" Chibiusa blurted.

Kyn and the others looked at the princess sharply. She blushed, embarrassed at her sudden question. 

"I mean, you're not a snake like the other people here. You're human," Chibiusa clarified.

Kyn nodded. "I am aware of that."

"Then why are you - " Chibiusa pressed.

The priestess' green eyes flashed in anger. "Where I'm from is not important. We have more pressing matters."

Chibiusa nodded meekly and was silent. Minako looked at the cowed princess to their hostess and was somewhat annoyed by Kyn's rude behavior.

"We need to find and secure the Sword before Abyss does," Kyn continued as if her conversation with Chibiusa had never happened.

"What is the Sword?" Ami asked.

Kyn laughed. "I'm surprised you Earthlings don't know. Wasn't it you who used it to defeat Chaos?"

"Chibi Chibi?" Makoto whispered. "The Sword of Galaxia?"

Kyn nodded. "Didn't you know Galaxia is in exile on this planet? She came here because it is peaceful and without threats."

"Why does Abyss want the Sword?" Chibiusa asked.

"It is the most powerful weapon in the cosmos," Kyn replied, not looking at the pink haired girl. "Why do you think Abyss would want it?"

"That's enough," Minako said. "Leave Chibiusa alone."

Kyn blinked in surprise. "Have I done something to offend you, Minako?"

"Not me," Minako said. "Chibiusa. You're being very rude to her."

"I am sorry," Kyn apologized, "but on this world, children are taught to listen and learn without interrupting their elders with pointless questions."

Chibiusa blushed angrily and Minako opened her mouth to retort when Rei spoke quickly.

"Where is the Sword?" she asked.

"With Galaxia," Kyn replied. "She remains the Sword's guardian, in spite of retiring from her senshi duties."

"We better hurry," Makoto said, leaping to her feet. "We need to reach Galaxia before Abyss."

"That's impossible," Kyn said calmly. "No one except me knows where Galaxia lives, and I'm not about to lead Abyss there. As long as we remain in the Temple, Galaxia and the Sword will be safe."

********

On a small island far to the east of the Pythian Temple, a cottage stood. It faced the ocean and a sandy beach, with a small forest behind it. A vegetable garden grew on one side of the cottage and it was to this garden that a woman walked.

She was tall with extremely long hair that cascaded to her ankles. It was golden blond at the top, but gradually faded into waves of intense orange which later became a fiery red. The woman had pale skin and sad, red eyes that seemed burdened with far too many deaths. 

The woman knelt in her garden, humming to herself as she weeded the vegetables. The sun was shining and the ocean waves lapped gently against the shore, easing some of the woman's tension. She lived alone on the island, not trusting herself with human contact after what she had done to the galaxy over a hundred years earlier.

Suddenly, the sun was darkened by a shadow. The woman looked up sharply, hoping that it was only a cloud that had distract her attention. Her heart sank as she saw the outline of a huge dragon circling in the air above her cottage.

"There she is," Abyss whispered to herself.

Akumu sat behind Abyss, her hands chained together and the crystal gun still pointing at her chest. Sailor Mars had cleared her body of the drug Abyss had been feeding her, but Abyss had been quick to react. As Abyss peered over the dragon's shoulder to where Galaxia worked, Akumu could see her transformation pen sticking out of her captor's pocket and wished she could reach it and be free.

Abyss turned to face her prisoner. "Soon you will outlive your usefulness to me, child. You will give me more power than anyone can imagine."

"Why would I do that?" Akumu demanded.

"Because," Abyss said with a sly smile, "you will have no other choice."


	11. Shadow

SHADOW

_"What a darling baby!"_

The infant gurgled happily, reaching up with chubby arms to grab at the long, black hair that dangled just out of her reach. The woman smiled and picked the baby up, holding her protectively close as she walked. Yawning, the baby blinked her brown eyes sleepily and dozed off, safe and warm in her guardian's arms.

********

Hours after the sun crested the Pythian horizon over the small cottage that Abyss circled, the sun made its appearance over the valley where the Pythian Temple sat. The usual dawn bells were silent in mourning as the exhausted monks took a day away from their regular duties to fix the ravages of the recent battle. The fields surrounding the temple had been cleared of bodies, but the smell of blood was on the morning wind and everyone wished for rain.

Makoto, Ami, and Chibiusa stood on the temple walls, staring out over the field. Carrion birds had flown down, drawn by the scent of rotting meat, and were devouring the bodies that had not been claimed. A few serpent farmers had returned to their devastated fields and struggled to save the few plants that had been spared. The wind picked up again and Chibiusa plugged her nose in disgust.

"Yucky!" she exclaimed. "I wish Michiru-san was here. One good tidal wave would wide out this smell!"  
Ami sighed. She wondered how the two outer senshi were doing back on Earth. None of them knew how long the two women could live off of one life source, but it had already been several days. Makoto suddenly slammed her fist onto the stone wall.

"She is so stubborn!" Makoto exclaimed. "How can she be so sure Abyss won't find the Sword?"

Ami glanced down into the courtyard where Kyn was organizing the remaining food supply with Rei and Minako. The red headed priestess raised her eyes and Ami waved, but Kyn just returned to her task without so much as a smile.

"She must believe that both the Sword and Galaxia are well hidden," Ami said. "I suppose she thinks Abyss is just waiting for us to lead her to the Sword."

"But what if Abyss doesn't need us?" Chibiusa wondered.

Ami sighed again. The same thought had been plaguing her mind. How would they find Galaxia if their only guide refused to lead them? She gazed worriedly to the horizon and hoped that the Sword was still safe.

********

Galaxia rose to her feet as the enormous dragon settled to the ground before her. She brushed off her hands and clothes as her visitors approached. Squinting against the morning sun, she saw two figures - a child and a woman. As they drew closer, Galaxia realized the woman had a gun pointed at the child. She gasped in surprise, but steeled herself.

"Welcome," Galaxia greeted them in a strong voice.

"Quiet," the woman snapped, shifting the gun from the girl to Galaxia. "You are Galaxia, the most powerful senshi?"

Galaxia nodded slowly. "I was. Who are you?"

"Abyss," the woman replied. "You have something I want."

Galaxia deliberately switched her gaze to the child. The girl had dark blue hair and kept her eyes downcast. Galaxia furrowed her brow in thought, knowing she had seen this child before somewhere. 

"What's your name?" Galaxia asked the girl, completely ignoring the frustrated Abyss.

The child raised her head and looked at Galaxia with large, unfeeling brown eyes. "Kuusou Akumu," she replied.

Abyss cleared her throat angrily. Galaxia looked back to her sharply. "What?" Galaxia asked.

"The Sword," Abyss demanded, powering up her gun. "Give me the Sword or breathe your last."

Galaxia laughed. "You could never use the Sword," she said.

"I can if someone of a pure heart gives it to me freely," Abyss snarled, grabbing Akumu roughly by the arm.

Galaxia stared at the girl. Akumu seemed to be a victim, like herself. Would she really give the Sword to Abyss? If she did, was she really of a pure heart?

"Didn't you hear me?" Galaxia said. "You need a pure heart, not one coated with darkness."

Akumu raised her head sharply and Galaxia could see anger in her eyes. The exiled senshi sighed inwardly. Apparently she had guessed wrong and Akumu was indeed a prisoner. Abyss laughed and gestured to the cottage wit her gun. Galaxia brushed her hair out of her eyes and headed for the door, Abyss and Akumu only a step behind.

********

_The baby saw it all. A scream, a flash of white light, and silence. Blinking in confusion, the baby cried, but no warm hands reached down to soothe her. Lost and alone, the child waited in darkness._

********

At the midday meal, the senshi gathered again in Kyn's quarters. They were served by a brown robed monk whom Kyn dismissed with a wave, not even looking up. As the senshi ate, Ami politely cleared her throat.

"Excuse me," she said, "but I was wondering if it is possible to contact Galaxia, to warn her about Abyss."

Kyn put down her plate. "You Earthlings just don't understand, do you? Galaxia is safe and secure where she is."

"So she never has contact with anyone?" Rei asked.

"I visit her once a year to make sure she has everything she needs," Kyn replied. "It's a long journey so I don't want to make it needlessly."

"What if, for whatever reason, Abyss found Galaxia?" Makoto asked.

"Then she would be able to take care of herself," Kyn replied. "She is the most powerful senshi in the galaxy."

The group fell silent for a few minutes as the girls sipped their tea. Finally Kyn put her cup down and looked at each girl in the eye. The priestess sighed.

"It would make all of you feel better if we checked on Galaxia, wouldn't it?" Kyn asked.

The senshi nodded furiously. Kyn closed her eyes for a moment, the gray gem on her forehead reflecting the room's dim light. She remained motionless for a moment before nodding slowly.

"All right," she said, opening her eyes. "I'll take you to Galaxia as fast as I can, but we're going the long way to make sure we're not being followed."

The inner senshi cheered and Kyn smiled.

"When do we leave?" Minako asked excitedly.

Kyn rose to her feet and picked up her bow and quiver. She opened a draw of her desk and drew out a silver whistle on a chain. Clenching the whistle in one hand, she turned back to the senshi.

"Right now," she replied.

********

The monks of the Pythian Temple gathered in the courtyard and on the walls to watch the Summoning. This event was so rare, it existed only in legend. Sailor Apollo stood in the yard facing the enormous temple doors. The five Earth senshi stood in front of the doors, watching with just as much curiousity as the monks. Sailor Apollo put the silver whistle between her lips and nocked an arrow in her bow. Blowing the whistle sharply, she released the arrow into the air above her. It soared straight up for several feet before splitting into six individual arrows and flying into the mountains. Apollo tucked the whistle inside her uniform and rested her bow on the ground.

"Now what?" Sailor Moon whispered.

"Now we wait," Apollo replied without looking at the pink senshi.

They did not have to wait long. A couple of minutes after the arrow was fired, a monk on the wall began hissing excitedly and pointing into the air. The eyes of everyone assembled followed his finger and gasped in awe. 

Six very large, beautiful swans flew over their heads and settled in the courtyard of the temple. Five of them were white and they were lead by an elegant black swan, who honked at Apollo. The Pythian senshi smiled and caressed his head. The black swan closed his eyes appreciatively. Sailor Apollo motioned for the other senshi to join her.

"These swans will take us to Galaxia," Apollo said. "Let one chose you to ride it and we'll get going."

The senshi looked at the five swans. The swans looked back at the senshi. Finally the one on the end extended its long neck and pointed to Sailor Jupiter. She smiled and stroked the swan's head. The remaining four swans overcame their shyness and chose a rider. When all the senshi were firmly seated on their steeds, Sailor Apollo mounted her black swan and the six birds rose into the air.

"This is fun!" Sailor Moon exclaimed.

Her swan gave a small honk of gratitude and followed the others over the mountains, away from the Temple.

********

_The baby stopped crying, her eyes captivated by the warm light surrounding her. Two figures looked down at her, hidden in shadow. One reached out a long, elegant finger which the baby took hold of, smiling in joy at being found._

"It's her," one of the people said.

"We will care for her here," the other said.

"Until the time is right," the first agreed.

Happy to be among people again, the baby settled into a peaceful slumber.

********

Abyss stood with her back to the closed door inside the cottage. The house consisted of a single large room, with a small kitchen tucked into one corner and a simple bed and desk in another. A few chairs sat by the fireplace and nothing decorated the walls. An open door separated the kitchen from the living space and a toilet and sink could be seen. 

Abyss motioned for Akumu to sit in one of the chairs by the fireplace. The girl did, looking neither at Galaxia nor at Abyss. 

"Show it to me," Abyss ordered.

Galaxia drew herself up to her full height and stared defiantly at Abyss. The purple haired woman swung the crystal gun at Galaxia.

"Show me!" Abyss yelled.

Galaxia hesitated a moment longer before walked up to the fireplace and pressing one of the bricks. A panel above the mantle flipped open and inside lay the golden Sword of Galaxia. Abyss stared at it for a moment, the sun from one of the cottage windows reflecting off the yellow blade. Pulling herself together, she motioned for Galaxia to sit in the other chair, and the woman did.

Reaching for a cylinder of aquamarine gas at her belt, Abyss unhooked it and showed it to Akumu.

"You know the deal," Abyss threatened.

Silently, Akumu stood and walked toward the mantle. She reached up with shaky hands and closed her hand around the Sword's hilt. The weapon was surprisingly light for being nearly as long as Akumu herself. She lifted it easily and held it for a moment in her hands.

"It has to be of your own free will," Galaxia told her.

"Shut up!" Abyss snarled. She turned expectantly to Akumu.

Suddenly, an image flashed before Akumu's eyes. A child with pink hair and large blue eyes, badly injured and being held by someone in a white dress with large angel wings. 

__

Please save that galaxy with this sword.

"I can't," Akumu whispered.

"What?" Abyss said. 

"I can't give you the Sword, Abyss."

Galaxia smiled warmly and Akumu blushed. The blue haired girl held out the Sword for Galaxia to take and the woman extended her hand. Abyss, seeing her control over the situation starting to disappear, placed herself between the two.

"I know you hate me, child," Abyss said softly, "but this woman is not who you think she is."

Akumu withdrew the Sword and blinked in confusion. "What do you mean?"

Abyss straightened and a smirk appeared on her face. "Your earliest childhood memory is of a senshi taking away your guardian."

"How did you know that?" Akumu demanded.

Abyss ignored her. "Your guardian was Sentou Karasu, whom Galaxia destroyed."

Akumu gasped and stared at Galaxia. The woman bowed her head in shame, but did not deny the accusation. 

"You took her from me?" Akumu asked in a quiet voice.

"I did," Galaxia replied softly.

Akumu clutched the Sword to her chest as tears coursed down her cheeks. All her life she despised the senshi who had taken the life of her guardian and here she was about to hand over the Sword to her. Akumu suddenly felt her power bubbling up inside her and she raised the Sword above her head.

"Darkness of Night, Transform!" she called.

Her senshi power absorbed her, her anger making her transformation pen unnecessary. Akumu became Sailor Nyx, and both Galaxia and Abyss gasped in shock. Her rage taking over completely, Nyx's transformation did not end. A circle of white light appeared at her feet and shot up her body, changing her into the Fury. The Fury turned to face Abyss and the purple haired woman cringed in fright.

The Fury held out the Sword to Abyss. The woman smiled in triumph and reached out to take it.

"Wait!" Galaxia cried.

The Fury and Abyss both turned to face the woman, Abyss's hand inches away from the Sword's hilt. Galaxia took a few steps towards the Fury, her hands clasped in front of her. All of a sudden, an arrow shot through the room between the Fury and Galaxia and embedded itself deep in the wall. All eyes turned to the doorway where six people stood.

Sailor Apollo knocked another arrow on her bow and aimed it at the Fury. The Fury snarled and snatched the Sword away from Abyss, holding it ready against another attack.

"Please, everyone!" Galaxia cried. "There will be no more violence!"

The room fell silent. Apollo lowered her bow but kept a weary eye on the Fury, who was once again holding the Sword out to Abyss. Again, before Abyss could take it, Galaxia began to speak.

"It is true I took your guardian," the woman began, addressing the Fury, "but we were friends at the time. I had taken Chaos into me to protect the galaxy, but I was growing weaker. I had come to ask Karasu-chan for help, but it was too late. Chaos consumed me and I consumed her. She began to work for me as I collected Star seeds."

"Sentou Karasu?" Sailor Mercury whispered. "Sailor Lead Crow?"

Galaxia nodded, tears streaming down her cheeks. The Fury's expression softened and she melted back into Sailor Nyx, her own tears brimming in her eyes. 

********

_"Karasu?" Galaxia called._

"Here," Karasu replied.

Baby Akumu giggled happily as Karasu tickled her nose with a black feather. Akumu could remember her kind eyes and dark skin, but most of all she remembered the smell of the feather on her nose. Another woman with long golden hair melting into red came into the room.

"What a darling baby!" Galaxia exclaimed

Akumu made a final grab at the feather as Karasu picked her up and walked with her around the room. Out of the corner of her eye, Akumu could see Galaxia doubling over in pain.

"Is it getting worse?" Karasu asked.

Galaxia nodded. "I don't know how much longer I can hold it."

Karasu sighed. "I really thought our treatments were working."

Galaxia smiled weakly. "We'll keep them up as long as we can."

Karasu gently put Akumu down into her cradle and smiled at her. The baby clapped her hands together, reached down, and started sucking on her toes. Karasu laughed softly and looked back to Galaxia. 

"Let's go," she said.

The two women left the room. Akumu twisted herself to try and see where her guardian had gone, but could not. Suddenly, she heard a cry of pain followed by a brilliant white flash and a terrified scream. Frightened and alone, Akumu began to cry.

********

"She was my friend," Galaxia sobbed. "They all were."

"I remember," Sailor Nyx whispered.

The gray senshi turned away from Abyss and held the Sword out to Galaxia. The woman wiped away her tears and took the Sword back. Abyss screamed in anger, holding the cylinder of Neptune's life essence over her head. The senshi cried in alarm as a portal of black energy appeared behind her.

"Say good bye to your senshi friend," Abyss screeched.

"No!" Sailor Nyx cried.

Abyss laughed as she prepared to toss the cylinder when suddenly she looked down and saw an arrow embedded in her chest. Shocked, the purple haired woman dropped her gun and looked up to see Sailor Apollo still holding her bow ready. 

"No," Abyss said weakly. "It can't end this way!"

She threw the cylinder and Sailor Nyx dove for it and caught it before it struck the ground. As she straightened, she noticed the discarded crystal gun and picked it up, tucking it away with the cylinder.

"Master!" Abyss cried out. "Avenge me!"

Abyss fell backward into the portal and quickly disappeared from view. The portal, however, did not disappear with her. The ground suddenly began to shake.

"Quick!" Sailor Jupiter yelled. "Everyone outside!"

The senshi and Galaxia ran from the cottage as the portal expanded. They ran to the coast where their swans were waiting and looked back. The cottage was gone and in its place was a giant black creature. It loomed above them and blocked the sun, casting a shadow over the entire island.

"What is that?" Sailor Mars asked.

"Abyss's Master," Sailor Nyx said. "I heard her talking to him at night. He's the Shadow King."

The towering shadow seemed insubstantial as the senshi could make out the forms of the forest through him. He had a large, gaping mouth, huge empty eyes, and a glowing red point on his left breast. 

"We have to stop it," Sailor Venus cried.

Sailor Apollo nocked an arrow and fired it at the monster. It passed right through him, but it caught his attention. The two huge eyes looked down at the small group of senshi, and he howled in anger.

"Uh oh," Sailor Moon said.

"Mars Flame Sniper!" Sailor Mars yelled.

"Jupiter Oak Evolution!" Sailor Jupiter called.

Again, the two attacks passed through him. The senshi backed up in fright as a massive hand swung down to destroy them. They leapt clear, but the hand left a massive print in the ground.

"At least we know he can hit us," Sailor Apollo said.

"What can we do?" Sailor Moon wondered.

Galaxia fingered her Sword. She turned to the senshi and smiled bravely. 

"You go," she said. "I'll hold him here as long as I can."

"But Galaxia," Sailor Nyx began.

Galaxia turned back to the Shadow King. "It's been a while since I've used this Sword. I may not defeat him, but I should give you enough time to escape to face him again."

The senshi nodded reluctantly and climbed aboard their frightened swans, Sailor Nyx sharing a ride with Sailor Moon. As Apollo ordered them all into the air, Galaxia raised her Sword and swung at the Shadow King. He howled in pain.

As they flew higher, Sailor Nyx looked back and saw Galaxia dueling with the Shadow King. Tears came into her eyes, but she found she could not take her eyes off the scene. 

"Don't look," Sailor Moon advised.

Sailor Nyx turned to her friend and forced a smile. The pink senshi smiled back sadly and held Nyx's hand comfortingly. Without warning, the swans gave a surprised honk and nearly threw their riders as the air currents changed. Nyx held on tight, but looked down at Galaxia's island. 

There was little left of the place, the whole island having been drained of life, and the Shadow King was rising into the air after them. Sailor Moon gasped in front of Nyx and urged her swan to fly faster.

"Galaxia," Nyx whispered.

"Hurry!" Sailor Apollo yelled back. "We have to reach the Temple before the Shadow King does."

The swans flew faster, but the King stayed within sight. In minutes, they were back at the Pythian Temple. The monks hissed a welcome, but were quickly silenced as the sun disappeared behind the enormous Shadow King. He landed at the mouth of the valley and slowly to advance, sucking the life out of everything he encountered. The senshi leapt from their swans, who quickly launched themselves into the air, and ran to the walls.

Apollo launched several arrows at the Shadow, but nothing happened. The monks ran around, throwing sticks and rocks at the approaching threat. Sailor Venus and Sailor Mercury tried their attacks, but they passed through him as if he was not there.

"What can we do?" Sailor Nyx cried.

"Nothing here," Sailor Mars said. "We need the Imperial Silver Crystal."

"We have to go," Sailor Jupiter agreed.

"We can't just leave the Pythians," Sailor Moon objected.

Sailor Apollo stood apart from the other senshi, still firing her endless supply of arrows into the approaching threat. She was, however, listening intently to the conversation

"If we leave now, we could draw the Shadow King away from this planet without him destroying it," Sailor Mercury said. 

"It's a risk, but we have little choice," Sailor Venus agreed. 

"What about Apollo?" Sailor Nyx whispered.

Abruptly Sailor Apollo stopped firing arrows and turned to the courtyard. All the monks who lived there, as well as the farmers who had managed to escape, had assembled when the Shadow King had appeared and they all looked up to their priestess for guidance.

"Flee the Temple," Apollo ordered. "Head for the mountains! We cannot stop the Shadow King!"

The monks hesitated for a second then fled the temple in a panic. Apollo sadly watched them go, gripping her bow tightly in one hand. The six Earth senshi stared at her in silence for a moment.

"My family is gone," Sailor Apollo said softly. She turned to the other senshi, her face grim. "Let's go."

The senshi joined hands and bowed their heads in concentration. The Shadow King was nearly on top of them as they disappeared into streaks of light and headed into outer space. The Shadow paused for only a moment to destroy the Pythian Temple before launching himself into space after them.

********

Queen Serenity looked in on the sleeping forms of Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune. They had been unconscious for nearly a week and a half, and she didn't like how pale they both were getting. The strand that connected their life essences no longer glowed with the same intensity it once had and the queen took that as a bad sign.

Serenity walked over to the window and gazed up into the night sky.

"Ami-chan, Rei-chan, Mako-chan, Minako-chan," she whispered, "please return safely home."

As if in answer to her prayer, seven streaks of light shot across the black sky, followed by a darkness that coated the stars and hid them from view.


	12. Nightfall

NIGHTFALL

Sailor Moon flung herself into her mother's arms, and Queen Serenity held her daughter tight. The monarchs of Crystal Tokyo had left the palace to meet the returning inner senshi at the western gates, and were pleased and surprised to see two extra senshi. King Endymion placed a hand on his wife's shoulder and Serenity reluctantly broke free of her daughter's embrace. The inner senshi bowed formally to their queen, and Serenity inclined her head in greeting before gathering her dearest friends in a warm hug.

"I'm so glad you're back safely," Serenity told them.

"Was there ever any doubt?" Jupiter asked with a wink.

Serenity moved past her friends to the two senshi who stood demurely behind them. Sailor Nyx bowed and Serenity could see Abyss's crystal gun strapped to her back. Nyx held out a cylinder that contained a swirling aquamarine gas.

"I hope we're not too late," Nyx said as Serenity accepted the cylinder.

The queen smiled at the girl. "I hope not, too. Nice to see you safe, Akumu."

The blue haired girl bowed again as the queen of Crystal Tokyo moved to stand in front of the red haired senshi. The girl wore a quiver of arrows on her back, held a bow tightly in one hand, and had a gray gem on her forehead. She didn't bow to the queen, to the shock of all those assembled, but Serenity didn't seem to mind.

"Welcome to Crystal Tokyo," the queen said. "I am Neo-Queen Serenity."

"I am Sailor Apollo of Pythia," Apollo replied.

Serenity inclined her head in greeting and turned back to her friends, clenching the cylinder in one hand.

"You must all be tired," she said. "Rest and change while I see to some unfinished business."

"I'm afraid the Shadow King won't like your plan," Apollo remarked. "We must prepare now for the attack, or your city will fall."

Serenity forced a smile. "My troops can keep this Shadow King away when he appears. None of you can fight when you're exhausted."

Apollo shrugged and followed the other senshi into the palace. Serenity watched her go and wondered why this new senshi was so serious. She turned to see Endymion, tightly holding the hand of Sailor Moon.

"She really is a character, isn't she?" Serenity sighed.

"I want to know why she's so rude," Sailor Moon huffed, "and bossy, too."

The queen looked to her daughter. "Why don't you go change and see Hotaru? She's been worried sick since you left."

Sailor Moon smiled and ran toward the palace. Serenity and Endymion followed after her, heading for the room of Haruka and Michiru. Behind them, a darkness descended over the countryside.

********

The Shadow King landed on Earth and immediately began gathering life energy to feed himself. His insatiable hunger drove him forward, closer to the sparkling city of Crystal Tokyo. Abyss had served him well by telling him of this place. Here, he would never be hungry again.

********

Akumu sat in her room, staring out her window to the ruins of Old Tokyo. She thought back to her life as a thief, to Sentou Karasu, and to Galaxia. Her earliest memories had been false, the senshi she had despised was the greatest senshi of them all and had been her only tie to her past. The more Akumu thought, the more she wished she had never saved the lost princess so long ago. She craved her simpler life when everything had made sense.

"Akumu-chan?"

Akumu turned and saw Usagi and Hotaru standing in the doorway. Usagi had changed into a white gown and her crescent moon on her forehead glowed. Akumu smiled and her regrets melted away. Her life may have become more complicated, but at least she was no longer alone.

"Usagi-chan!" Akumu said. "I didn't hear you come in. Hello, Hotaru-chan."

The purple haired girl smiled and Usagi looked around the room. Lying on Akumu's bed was Abyss's crystal gun. The princess frowned at it in distaste.

"Why are you keeping that?" Usagi asked, pointing to the weapon.

Akumu shrugged. "A momento, maybe? I don't really know."

"I think you should get rid of it," Usagi said. "Think of all the horrible things it has done."

"Speaking of horrible things being done, how is Lady Neptune?" Akumu asked.

"She's recovering," Hotaru replied. "So is Haruka-papa. Ami-san thinks they'll be at full strength soon."

"In time to face the Shadow King," Akumu murmured, looking back out the window.

On the distant horizon, the huge Shadow King was drawing closer, blocking out the sky. Usagi shivered and hugged her arms to her chest. Akumu gazed at the insubstantial threat, knowing that nothing the senshi could do would destroy it. Galaxia had fallen before the Shadow, and if the most powerful senshi in the galaxy had failed, how could they hope to succeed? Akumu's eyes turned to Hotaru, the frail senshi of Death and Rebirth. Akumu wondered if the battle would result in the destruction of Crystal Tokyo.

"It may not come to that," Hotaru told Akumu, reading the girl's thoughts through her expression.

Usagi looked at her two friends. "It won't come to that," the princess said firmly. "Hotaru-chan, promise me you won't die."

Hotaru smiled warmly. "I promise, Chibiusa-chan."

The three girls stood in silence for a few moments, each lost in their own thoughts. None of them made eye contact with the others, as if looking would make them disappear.

"Oh yeah!" Usagi said suddenly, "Akumu-chan, we're supposed to come and bring you to the audience hall. Mama and Papa are holding a senshi council before the fight."

"And I thought you just came to say hello," Akumu teased. "We shouldn't keep the King and Queen waiting."

Usagi nodded and the three girls left the room. As she closed the door, Akumu looked from the crystal gun to the window and sighed.

********

Everyone assembled in the audience hall of the Crystal palace. The two thrones and the ornate chairs of the Planetary Ladies and the princess lay empty as all the senshi gathered in a circle in the middle of the massive room. Akumu, Hotaru, and Usagi rushed in late and saw the whole council was waiting for them. 

Queen Serenity sat facing the doors, with Endymion to her left and Ami to her right. Next to Ami in the circle was Rei, Makoto, Minako, Kyn, two empty seats for Akumu and Hotaru, then Junjun, Vesves, Cerecere, Parapara, an empty seat for Usagi, Michiru, Haruka, and in the seat next to Endymion

"Puu!" Usagi exclaimed in delight.

"Hello, Small Lady," Setsuna smiled.

"This must really be serious for Setsuna to leave her post," Hotaru whispered as they took their seats.

"It is," Akumu replied, thinking of Galaxia.

"We face a serious danger," King Endymion began, silencing the circle and catching everyone's attention. "With the Shadow King, we cannot even spare senshi to raise the Shield."

"But the palace will be vulnerable!" Makoto objected.

"We have no choice," Serenity said quietly.

"We can't stop the Shadow King's advance," Endymion continued. "Luna and Artemis are monitoring its approach as we speak, but we can make a stand against it."

"We won't run," Haruka assured them, her voice sounding weak. Michiru held Haruka's hand tighter and nodded.

"The senshi will meet the Shadow in waves," Setsuna told everyone. "Haruka, Michiru, and I will meet it first. Should we fail, the Asteroid senshi will fight. The inner senshi will remain at the palace gates with Kyn as a final wave. If we all fail, it will be up to Hotaru-chan."

The senshi nodded gravely, knowing the likelihood of them all dying was very great. 

"Wait a minute," Usagi objected, "what about Akumu and me?"

"You will stay in the palace," Serenity said. "It's too dangerous for both of you."

"Why?" Usagi demanded. "Aren't we senshi too?"

Setsuna smiled gently. "Should the Shadow King defeat us all, you must live to guard the Silver Crystal, Small Lady."

"You are the last descendant of the Moon," Ami continued.

"If you don't escape, no one else will be able to use the Crystal to save the Earth," Michiru added.

"What about me?" Akumu spoke up.

"You have to protect the princess," Minako said.

Akumu balled her hands into fists. "It's because of what I can become, isn't it? You're all afraid of the Fury."

The group fell silent. Hotaru rested her hand on Akumu's clenched fist and the blue haired girl looked up, her eyes filled with tears. Beside Hotaru, Junjun huffed and looked angrily away.

"We're not afraid of you, Akumu-chan," Hotaru said.

"You're not in control of your powers yet,' Haruka spoke up. "If you face the Shadow King, you'll just get yourself killed."

"And what about all of you?" Akumu cried. "You're all just going to walk into death? We know our attacks can't touch it. We already tried that!"

"True," Rei said, "but now we're all together, and maybe if we pool our powers"

"You'll all die together, except Usagi-chan and me," Akumu interrupted. "Did you invite me into a real home, with a real family, just to orphan me again?

One of the Asteroid senshi snickered and tears began to trickle down Akumu's cheeks.

"Enough!" Serenity said angrily, rising to her feet. "No one will die. By the light of the Silver Crystal, we will be born again. The senshi are eternal."

"Except Kami," Michiru whispered.

The circle fell silent again, the only sound from Akumu's muted sobs. Serenity remained motionless, standing in front of her chair. Abruptly, she sat and lowered her head to look at her lap.

"We have all been told what to do," Serenity said softly without raising her head. "When Luna and Artemis raise the alarm, we will start. Until then, I advise you all to rest."

The circle quietly broke up, each woman going to take care of last minute preparations before battle. Queen Serenity, King Endymion, and Princess Usagi retired to their private rooms for some time alone. The last to leave, Akumu wiped her eyes and headed to her room to follow the queen's advice.

As Akumu walked down the hall, she passed Haruka and Michiru's room. The door was open, so Akumu knocked politely and entered. Inside it was as if the two women were not facing death in a few hours. Michiru sat on her bed, playing a sad tune on her violin. Haruka was practicing kicks and punches on an invisible opponent. Akumu cleared her throat and Michiru looked up, smiling.

"Akumu-chan!" she greeted. "What brings you here?"

Akumu curtsied like Michiru had taught her and an amused grin spread over Haruka's face.

"I just wanted to thank you both for everything you've done for me," Akumu said, "especially you, Lady Uranus."

Haruka smiled and shrugged. "You're welcome, and call me Haruka when we're not in court, okay?"

Akumu blushed and nodded. Quickly, she continued her speech. "I used to think the two of you were the meanest people in Crystal Tokyo, the way you both moved through the ruins like the wind, catching thieves."

"Except you," Michiru remarked gently.

Akumu's blush deepened. "Anyway, I guess what I want to say is without you, I'd still be in the ruins, stealing food and hating the senshi."

"So, you don't hate us anymore?" Haruka asked.

Akumu shook her head. "Knowing what I know now, I don't think I ever could."

Haruka laughed. "I'll remind you of that the next time I make you run laps all afternoon."

Akumu smiled and bowed once more. She bid the two women farewell and left the room. She paused for a moment outside the open door, listing for Michiru to start her song.

"She's a good kid," Haruka remarked. "I hope we see her again."

Akumu grinned and continued down the hall. The sad, haunting music of the violin trailing after her.

********

Ami, Rei, Makoto, and Minako sat in their private gathering room for what they all believed would be the last time. They had faced many dangerous enemies together and had always triumphed in the end, but fighting the Shadow King was like fighting the air - everything they could throw at it went right through. All they could do is slow it down and hope for the best.

Ami had a notepad in her hand and was trying to come up with a way to contain the Shadow King. Makoto, like Haruka, was practicing her kicks and punches. Rei was in deep meditation and Minako was reading a manga. The girls didn't speak; none of them had anything left to say. They had been through this many times before, yet their destiny had never been this unsure.

Suddenly, the door from the hall opened and Kyn appeared. The four senshi's eyes all snapped up at once to focus on the intruder. Kyn half stepped through the door before she realized where she was.

"Sorry," Kyn apologized. "I'm trying to find my room."

"Why don't you come talk with us?" Minako invited.

Kyn smiled and came fully into the room, sitting on a chair with her back to the door. For a few awkward moments, the five girls sat in silence.

"How do you like Earth?" Ami asked politely.

"It's nice," Kyn said, "but I miss Pythia."

"How long did you live on Pythia?" Minako asked.

"My whole life," Kyn replied, smiling wistfully. "My mother was from Kinmokusei and she met my father on Pythia."

"So your father was . . . ?" Makoto began.

Kyn nodded. "Yes, he was a Pythian, or a serpent man as you like to call us. My mother died not long after I was born."

"You were raised completely by serpent - uh, Pythians?" Rei asked. "How did you learn our language?"

"My father sent me to Kinmokusei to learn to be human," Kyn said the last few words in distaste. "I met Princess Kakyuu there and her three protectors."

"The Starlights?" Minako asked.

Kyn nodded. "They told me all about my senshi destiny. My mother had been Sailor Apollo before me, guardian of a small moon circling an uninhabited planet. Princess Kakyuu gave me my mother's bow and arrows and sent me back to Pythia. I became Priestess of the Temple once the Pythians learned I was a senshi."

"So you just stayed on Pythia?" Makoto asked. "Doesn't sound very exciting to me."

"Not compared to the stories I've heard about you," Kyn replied. "I was speaking with Michiru before the council. Did you ever have a year when you didn't save the Earth?"

Rei laughed. "Earth has always been a popular place to attack."

"Remember when Usagi and Rei had those drums around them?" Minako asked. "I love that story!"

"Who told you that?" Rei snapped.

"Haruka-san. She said you two looked ridiculous."

"At least I didn't try to date two enemies at once," Rei fumed.

"I didn't know they were enemies!" Minako objected.

As the final evening progressed, the five women laughed and told stories of happier times.

********

"He's at the city gates!" Luna cried, running down the halls.

"And moving fast!" Artemis added, easily keeping pace with his wife.

"Hurry everyone!" Diana piped up. "He's coming to the palace!"

Queen Serenity and King Endymion stood at the large, open palace doors, staring down the garden path to the western gate. As much of the populace as possible had been evacuated, and those who had stubbornly remained were now fleeing for their lives. The Shadow King loomed high over the buildings, searching for life energy to absorb as the people ran. Serenity stared up at the figure, its empty black eyes and gaping mouth above the peculiar red mark on its left breast, searching for its next victim. Endymion put his arm around his wife's shoulders as the rest of the senshi assembled behind them. The outer senshi had already transformed, and they bowed briefly to the monarchs before running out to the western gate.

"Good luck," Serenity called after them.

Sailor Uranus paused, winked at the queen, drew out her sword, and disappeared into the night after Neptune and Pluto. A chill wind blew across the garden path and Serenity shivered, still staring out where her friends had been.

"We're next," Sailor Ceres said.

The Asteroid senshi turned to where Usagi stood with Hotaru and Akumu. The four girls bowed formally, Sailor Vesta tossing an angry look at Akumu.

"Please be careful," Usagi pleaded.

"We will, Small Lady," Sailor Vesta said.

"Be strong, Princess," Sailor Juno added.

"Stay safe," Sailor Ceres said, looking more at Akumu than the princess.

"Wait a minute," Akumu said.

The four senshi turned to Akumu, malice brimming in each of their eyes. The blue haired girl forced a smile and stuck out her hand.

"Good luck to you all," she said. "I know we never got along well, but I hope you four return safely."

The quartet blinked in surprise and shock. Slowly, Sailor Juno extended her hand and grasped Akumu's hand. They shook and Juno smiled. The other three girls each took a turn, fighting over who would shake Akumu's hand next. 

"Protect her well," Sailor Ceres whispered to Akumu.

"I will," Akumu promised. 

Sailor Pallas waved playfully and the quartet followed the outer senshi out the western gate. A minute after they disappeared, Rei, Ami, Minako, and Makoto turned to face Serenity. Kyn stood off to one side, holding her bow in one hand. Serenity's eyes filled with tears and she clasped her hands together. Her friends smiled bravely.

"I already thought I lost you once," Serenity said. "I don't want to lose you again."

"You said it yourself, Usagi-chan," Rei said. "We'll be reborn by the light of the Silver Crystal."

"We'll all be together again soon, Usagi-chan," Minako added.

"Stay safe," Ami told her friend, "be strong."

"And wish us luck," Makoto added with a wink.

Queen Serenity gathered her friends together in a hug, her tears now flowing freely. They remained motionless in the embrace for several minutes before Ami gently untangled the queen from her friends. 

"We have to go, Usagi-chan," Ami said gently.

Queen Serenity nodded and tried to smile. Endymion touched her shoulder and she melted into his embrace. The girls looks at the queen for a split second longer before drawing out their transformation pens.

"Mercury Crystal Power, Make-Up!"

"Mars Crystal Power, Make-Up!"

"Jupiter Crystal Power, Make-Up!"

"Venus Crystal Power, Make-Up!"

Kyn drew an arrow from her quiver and aimed it into the sky. The royal couple watched curiously to see what the mysterious senshi would do.

"Make-Up!" Kyn cried, releasing the arrow.

A few feet above her head, the arrow exploded into a shower of gold, transforming priestess Kyn into Sailor Apollo. The four inner senshi and Sailor Apollo ran down the garden path to their post just outside the gate. Queen Serenity, King Endymion, Usagi, Akumu, and Hotaru stayed at the palace doors, hoping and praying for their friends.

********

Pluto, Neptune, and Uranus ran through the city. They didn't speak, but remained in view of each other as they darted down the dark streets. The huge body of the Shadow King loomed above them, oblivious to the coming attack as it searched for life to consume. Finally, when the palace was well behind them, the trio of senshi made their stand. Pluto held her staff at the ready and Uranus and Neptune held their talismans tight. As the Shadow King came upon them, Neptune gave her partner a smile. Uranus smiled back and launched herself into an attack.

"Space Sword Blaster!" she shouted.

The Shadow King gazed down at the senshi as the attack passed through him. Uranus gasped in surprise as the Shadow reach out for her.

"Submarine Reflection!" Sailor Neptune cried.

The attack caused the Shadow to turn abruptly to Neptune and sweep her aside with a negligent flick of his massive hand. It struck her and threw her into the wall of a nearby building. Neptune hit it hard, falling to the ground and causing the bricks to fall on top of her. She lay stunned and the Shadow King reached down for her.

"Neptune!" Uranus exclaimed.

"Dead Scream," Pluto said calmly, shooting a purple ball of energy at the threat.

The attack hit the King in the hand, and he howled in pain. Pluto blinked.

"It hit him," she remarked.

"When he's reaching for something, he becomes solid," Uranus surmised. "That's how we'll have to defeat him."

Neptune had shaken off the attack and stood again to face the Shadow. After Pluto's attack, however, his attention and turned back to the other two senshi. The King roared in anger and reached out to Uranus. Neptune watched in horror as the blonde senshi froze in place. When the hand had nearly closed around her, Uranus held up her hand.

"World Shaking!" she called.

The attack struck the Shadow a split second before his hand closed around Uranus. The earthquake injured the Shadow but he lifted Uranus from the ground and squeezed her. She screamed in pain as her life essence was ripped from her body and sucked into the gaping mouth of the Shadow King.

"Uranus!" Neptune screamed, tears welling in her eyes.

As if in slow motion, Neptune watched as the Shadow dropped the body of her partner. Neptune ran forward, blinded by tears, and caught Uranus before she struck the ground. The girl's skin was already cold and her eyes closed. Her face was relaxed and she looked at peace. 

Neptune's face contorted in anger as she kissed Uranus for the last time. Pluto, who had watched the whole terrible ordeal, called out to stop the enraged senshi. Neptune didn't hear her companion cry out and charged the Shadow King.

"Deep Submerge!" she yelled, her anger strengthening her power.

Nevertheless, the attack passed clear through him. The huge face of the Shadow King broke into a grin and it reached down for the senshi. Neptune steeled her nerves, preparing for her fate. As the huge hand came towards her, a purple sphere struck the Shadow. It recoiled in pain.

"Submarine Reflection!" Neptune cried.

The two senshi stood side by side before the furious Shadow King. They faced the threat bravely to the end as the Shadow reached down to consume them both. 

As the screams disappeared into the night, three bodies lay against a half destroyed building. The Shadow King stepped past them as he made his way toward the palace.

********

"It's coming!" Sailor Juno remarked.

The other three Asteroid senshi looked up from what they were doing to see the advancing Shadow. Sailor Ceres scanned the ground at its feet for any sign of the three outer senshi.

"It must have got them," she sighed.

"Parapara is scared," Sailor Pallas whined.

"No time for that now," Sailor Vesta told her sharply. "We must be brave for the princess."

Sailor Pallas took a deep breath and nodded. Together, the four Asteroid senshi stood to face the approaching menace. The King walked right up to them and nearly stepped on the senshi as they scrambled to get clear of its enormous foot.

"Magic Ball!" Sailor Pallas cried, throwing her blue balls high in the air.

The three balls soared upwards until they hovered right in front of the Shadow King. He stopped, staring at the twirling spheres in confusion as they danced before his eyes. The four senshi took this opportunity to focus their energy for the next attack. They joined hand and stood in a circle.

"Circus Center Ring!" they shouted.

Great circles of energy began to spread outward from the four senshi. The first few passed right through the Shadow King, but he looked down in anger and reached out to grab the girls. They didn't waver and, as he materialized to pick up the senshi, he howled in pain. Several more rings struck him before he dematerialized once more.

"We got him!" Sailor Ceres exclaimed.

"Not quite," Sailor Juno pointed out.

The enormous hand was once again coming toward the four girls. Sailor Pallas whimpered, but did not cry out as the girls gathered the last of their diminishing energy.

"Jungle Arrow!" they yelled as the enormous hand picked them up.

The attack struck true, but did not defeat the massive Shadow. The four girls screamed in unison as their life essences were ripped from their bodies and devoured by the Shadow. 

The four discarded bodies of the playful Asteroid senshi lay on the destroyed street of Crystal Tokyo. The Shadow King continued his advancement to the palace, his hunger growing more intense.

********

As the giant Shadow loomed over the palace, just outside the western gate, Queen Serenity watched bravely. Tears streamed down her cheeks, but she said nothing, gripping the Silver Crystal tightly in one hand. Endymion stood beside her, motionless and silent, with Luna and Artemis at his heels. Behind them stood Usagi, Akumu, Hotaru, and Diana, each lost in thought. They all knew what must have happened for the Shadow to have come so close. Haruka, Michiru, Setsuna, Junjun, Cerecere, Parapara, and Vesves were either badly injured or dead to have allow him to pass. Usagi cried, but like her mother, said nothing.

Suddenly, Serenity turned to her daughter and extended her hand. The white Silver Crystal lay in her palm, glittering despite the faded light. Usagi stared at it, but did not move.

"Take the Crystal, Chibiusa," Serenity whispered. "Take it and run. Go into the mountains with Akumu and Diana and save yourself."

Usagi shook her head fiercely. "No, Mama. I can't leave you!"

Serenity knelt and her daughter rushed into her arms. Endymion turned and stared at his family in sad silence.

"Darling, you must," Serenity said. "Be brave, and remember how much we all love you."

Usagi sobbed as Serenity pressed the Crystal into her daughter's hand and closed her fingers around it. She looked at the princess for a moment longer before raising her eyes to Akumu and Hotaru. Both girls nodded and pulled out their transformation pens.

"Saturn Planet Power, Make-Up!" Hotaru cried.

"Darkness of Night, Transform!" Akumu yelled.

Sailor Nyx walked up to the princess and put a hand on her shoulder. Usagi sniffed and looked up to her father. Endymion smiled slightly and Usagi ran into his arms. Serenity rose to her feet as Endymion embraced his daughter, then Nyx gently lead the princess into the palace. Sailor Saturn watched them go before placing herself between the monarchs and the Shadow King. Should all the senshi fall, the Earth would have to be destroyed.

********

"Akumu-chan, stop!" Usagi wailed.

Sailor Nyx pulled the girl deeper into the palace. Diana followed, looking over her shoulder every once in a while. The purple kitten had said farewell to her parents earlier, but was not pleased at all with leaving them.

"We can't stop, Usagi-chan," Nyx told her. "We have to keep going."

"We're not in the mountains again," Usagi said firmly. 

Sailor Nyx stopped and released the princess's arm. Usagi's eyes were red and swollen from crying and her hand was clenched into a fist. The entire palace shuddered as the Shadow King came a few steps closer.

"We can't leave them. I won't leave them," Usagi said, starting to turn.

Nyx grabbed her arm again. "We're not leaving them, princess."

Usagi turned back to her friend. "What do you mean?"

Nyx smiled. "I know a place where you'll be safe. Then I can go back and help Saturn finish the fight. Hotaru-chan told me her powers won't reach you and you'll be spared from the destruction."

Tears welled up again in Usagi's eyes. "But Akumu, you'll die!"

Sailor Nyx tapped Usagi's clenched fist. "If I understand this Crystal thing correctly, all you have to do is use it and we'll all get reborn. We can't be saved if no one is alive to save us."

Usagi opened her mouth to object, then sighed. "You're right, Akumu."

Sailor Nyx smiled. "Of course I'm right. Now, follow me. Once I have you hidden, I have to sneak back outside again without the king and queen seeing me."

"I'll stay with you, Small Lady," Diana promised. 

Usagi smiled. "Thank you, Diana. I don't think I can go through this alone."

********

Sailor Venus stood in front of the Shadow King as his massive hand descended. She stared up at him in anger, not moving until the hand was just about to close around her. At that moment, she leapt into the air.

"Now!" she cried.

"Mercury Aqua Rhapsody!"

"Mars Flame Sniper!"  
"Jupiter Oak Revolution!"

The three attacks and a golden arrow from Sailor Apollo all converged on the materialized hand and the Shadow King screamed in agony. Sailor Venus landed next to Sailor Apollo and smiled.

"Told you it would work," she said.

Apollo rolled her eyes. "A foolish risk."

The red headed senshi nocked another arrow and pulled back her bowstring. She released the projectile and it soared high in the air, passing right through the Shadow King's eye. Apollo sighed.

"Any luck, Mercury?" Sailor Jupiter called.

The blue senshi dodged the Shadow's foot as she scanned the creature for weaknesses. Images flashed on her visor and she shook her head in frustration.

"He materializes and dematerializes so quickly, it's impossible to hit him," Mercury called.

"Should we try Venus's trick again?" Mars asked.

"I think he's figured it out," Sailor Apollo told her. "Let's think of something else."

She negligently fired another arrow at the threat, knowing it would pass through. The golden arrow soared up and struck the Shadow King in the glowing red mass on his left breast. The King clasped at his chest and moaned in pain.

Apollo blinked in shock and opened her mouth to announce her discovery to the others. The Shadow King, however, had noticed that she was the one who had injured him and threw part of a building at her. Apollo tried to leap clear, but the King caught her in midair.

"Apollo!" Sailor Venus cried.

"Kyn!" Sailor Mars yelled.

Sailor Apollo screamed in pain as her life essence came free of her body and floated into the mouth of the Shadow King. He tossed Apollo over his shoulder and Sailor Jupiter ran to catch her. Kyn was dead before Jupiter even reached her.

"You'll never see your home again," Jupiter whispered. "I'm so sorry."

Jupiter gently lay the body down and growled in anger. She charged at the Shadow and ran right through his leg. The King looked down and materialized before Jupiter could break through the other side.

"Jupiter!" Sailor Mercury gasped.

"No!" Venus screamed. "Makoto!"

Jupiter pounded on the inside of the Shadow's leg, trying to break free. She was speaking, but none of the other senshi could hear what she was trying to say. Suddenly, her face contorted in pain and a green ghostly image separated from her body and floated up the Shadow King's leg. Sailor Jupiter's eyes rolled into her head and she collapsed.

The Shadow King stepped off her body and Sailor Mars ran over to her friend. Jupiter's skin was cold, but her face was peaceful. Gently, Mars lifted her friend and lay her next to Sailor Apollo. As the King began to move again, Mars ran to join her surviving friends behind a large piece of building.

"What can we do against this thing?" Sailor Venus asked.

"I'm still looking," Mercury said, "but it's hard when it keeps moving."

The blue senshi turned off her visor and stood. Sailor Mars tried to grab the girl as she walked out into full view of the Shadow King. 

"Shine Aqua Illusion!" Sailor Mercury called.

She kept the freezing snow going for much longer than usual, slowly turning the gaseous form of the Shadow King into ice. Sailor Venus and Sailor Mars watched in disbelief. Sailor Mercury managed to freeze both the King's feet before it reached down to try and grab her. The blue senshi leapt clear of one hand, but was quickly caught by the other.

"Ami-chan!" Sailor Mars whispered.

"Aim at its heart," Sailor Mercury yelled as she was lifted up to the Shadow Kings mouth. "The red part!"

"What is she saying?" Sailor Venus asked.

Sailor Mars shook her head, straining to hear her friend's last words. As the Shadow King devoured Mercury's life force and threw her body aside, the red senshi turned to her friend with a cold determination in her eyes.

"It's up to Hotaru," Sailor Mars said.

"But we'll go down fighting," Sailor Venus agreed.

The two girls smiled at one another and left their hiding place. Already the ice from Mercury's attack was melting and the Shadow King was coming free.

"Venus Love and Beauty Shock!" Sailor Venus yelled.

"Mars Flame Sniper!" Sailor Mars cried.

The two girls kept up their attacks as the Shadow King seized them. They rose high above the city and Sailor Mars couldn't help but notice how beautiful their home was, despite the ruins from the recent battles. 

Sailor Venus twisted her head to gaze down at the palace. She thought she could see Queen Serenity and King Endymion standing outside the doors, looking up at her. A tear fell from her eye and she turned her head to bravely meet her death.

********

Sailor Nyx ran through the deserted halls of the palace, the heels of her boots clattering on the polished floor. She had safely hidden the princess deep in the cellars of the palace, the one place where Hotaru had assured her the powers of destruction would not touch her. Sailor Nyx desperately hoped the battle would not end in the destruction of the world, and she was prepared to do whatever she could to keep Saturn from unleashing her powers.

Armed with her only weapon, the senshi of Night slid into the main hall and ran as fast as she could to the open doors.

********

Usagi sat in the dark cellar, Diana curled in her lap. The small kitten was not speaking and neither was the princess. Truthfully, neither of them had much to say. Their entire world was about to be destroyed and they knew they would be the only survivors. 

Usagi turned over the Silver Crystal in her hand. There was barely any light in the dank hiding spot, but the Crystal seemed to brighten any space. She thought of her mother, standing undefended before the Shadow King and of her father, armed with only his sword. They could not survive without her.

"We can't be saved if no one is alive to save us," Usagi whispered, repeating Akumu's words.

"Did you say something?" Diana asked.

The princess smiled down at her friend. "Yes, Diana. We're going to save them all before its too late."

********

The Shadow King moved slowly up the path toward the palace, absorbing all life as he passed. The flowers and trees that lined the walkway withered and died as he walked up to the final humans who stood in his way.

Sailor Saturn held her glaive at the ready, her eyes cold and determined. Queen Serenity and King Endymion stood a few paces behind her, holding each other in their final moments. Luna and Artemis stood to one side, standing so close to each other that their fur blended together. Saturn was motionless, waiting for her command.

The Shadow was so close the queen could practically feel him when she opened her mouth to speak. Saturn watched out of the corner of her eye and held her glaive a little higher. 

"Wait!"

The royal couple and Saturn turned to see Sailor Nyx standing to one side, between them and the Shadow. She held Abyss's crystal gun in her hands, but the cylinder that normally caught the life essence was gone. 

"Akumu!" Serenity gasped. "Where's Usagi?"

"Safe, Highness," Nyx replied. "Please let me try to end this without destroying the world."

"What are you going to do?" Saturn asked.

"Please, Highness," Nyx begged, ignoring Saturn's question. "I can save you all, if you let me."

Serenity looked from the giant Shadow to the newest senshi and considered the request. Behind her, unknown by all, Usagi was running toward them with the Crystal in her hand. As the princess made it to the door, Serenity nodded.

"Thank you," Nyx said.

Usagi paused at the doorway as Sailor Nyx powered up the crystal gun and aimed it at her breast. The princess opened her mouth to scream and Serenity held out her hand to stop the senshi as Nyx pulled the trigger.

"No!" Usagi yelled.

Sailor Nyx's body fell backward, but a grayish ghost of herself materialized from the other side of the gun, where the cylinder once was. It looked at Usagi for a moment before soaring upwards to be engulfed by the Shadow King. 

The princess rushed forward and cradled Nyx's body in her arms. Saturn came over as well and stood over her friend. Serenity stared in shock and Endymion looked up at the Shadow.

"You promised!" Usagi sobbed. "You promised you wouldn't die."

"I had no idea she would do this," Serenity whispered. "We've lost them all, now."

Usagi was crying and rocking back and forth, holding Nyx's dead body in her arms. Serenity went to kneel next to her daughter, tears also brimming in her eyes.

"The Shadow," Endymion muttered. "It's stopped."

********

Sailor Nyx drifted through the substance of the Shadow. Forces were pulling her along and she followed them, unconcerned with where they would take her. She thought of nothing as she moved, but felt a strange feeling in the back of her mind that there was something she should be doing. 

The current brought her to a reddish area where she saw many people encased in clear globes. Hundreds of them were small animals and plants, but many more were the serpent people of Pythia. They were curled in fetal positions and seemed at rest. Nyx wondered if she would find such peace at the end of her journey. 

As she drifted along, she came across more sleeping people, ones that she knew. First she passed Galaxia, and then Haruka and Michiru. Further along was Setsuna and the Amazon Quartet, all happy in their bubbles. Later still came Kyn, Makoto, Ami, Rei, and Minako, and finally an empty globe reserved for her. Here the currents stopped and Nyx paused. She turned back to look at her friend and realized they were not sleeping, but were dead and she was with them. 

"This isn't right," Nyx thought.

The bubble before her burst and Nyx was thrown back the way she had come, far from her friends still in their spherical coffins. Nyx was tossed head over heels until she at last righted herself and came face to face with the Shadow King. 

He appeared before her as a man who looked quite a bit like King Endymion, the only full grown man Nyx had ever known. The Shadow was black and featureless, with glowing red eyes.

"Who are you?" it asked.

"I am Sailor Nyx, Senshi of Dreams and Guardian of the Mind," she replied.

They spoke without moving their mouths and the Shadow King drifted closer, overcome by curiousity.

"What do you wish?" it inquired.

"For you to leave my planet and free my friends," Nyx answered.

"But I would die," the Shadow said. "Do you wish me dead?"

"You wish us dead," Nyx retorted.

The Shadow shook his head. "I have nothing against you. I am only hungry and require life to eat."

"We require life to live. I'm afraid we have a problem."

"It appears we do," the Shadow agreed. "However, I have already won. You are here, within me, and I shall feed off of you."

"Never!" Nyx cried.

The Shadow backed away and a red smile spread over his black face. He raised a hand and the spheres that held the senshi appeared. One by one, the bubbles opened and the senshi stepped clear. Their eyes were lifeless and they stood haphazardly, like puppets hung on a wall. The Shadow melted into darkness and disappeared from view. 

"What are you doing here?" Sailor Neptune asked.

"I've come to free you," Nyx replied. 

Sailor Uranus looked around. "It seems you've failed. We're still here, trapped."

"I'm working on it," Nyx told them. 

"It seems you were right," Apollo said. "She is uncontrollable."

"If we had our powers," Sailor Mars added, "we'd be out of here in an instant."

"She can't even think of a way out," Sailor Mercury chided. "How shameful."

The senshi circled around Sailor Nyx, taunting her and reaching out with their dead hands. Nyx felt tears in her eyes and she pleaded with those whom she believed were her friends.

"Please, help me," Nyx begged.

Uranus laughed. "I thought you were our equal, but I was wrong. You'll always be an untrained child."

Sailor Nyx blinked in shock and felt her heart break at the words. Sailor Uranus smiled cruelly at her and Neptune joined her. Sailor Jupiter began to laugh, and soon the assembled senshi were laughing at her ineptitude. 

"No," Nyx said softly. 

She heard a sad, haunting tune in the back of her mind and concentrated on it. The sound intensified and Sailor Nyx's eyes turned white. She looked through the senshi to where the Shadow King stood, concealed.

"Why don't you run away, child?" Sailor Venus said, but it was the Shadow King's mouth that moved with her voice.

Sailor Nyx held up her hand and a globe of white light appeared. "Nightmare Dissolution!" she called.

The images of the senshi vanished, replaced by the reality of her friends locked in the spheres. The Shadow reappeared before her, and an empty sphere appeared beside him.

"Surrender," the Shadow said. "You are alone."

"I am not alone," Nyx told him. " I command the powers of the Mind. You tried to cloud my vision with illusions, but we are in my domain now."

The Shadow laughed at her. Sailor Nyx narrowed her white eyes and the Shadow King's red eyes widened. He looked around in confusion as if he was seeing things that were not there.

"What are you doing?" it demanded. "I feel you within me."

"I have found your fear," Nyx replied. "Now, you will see it as well."

A light sparked in the recesses of the Shadow's mind and began to expand. The King backed away from the brightness, but it expanded to meet him. As it touched his foot, he screamed in pain.

"Release us," Nyx commanded.

"No!" the Shadow King cried.

The light intensified, burning the Shadow King with its brilliance. He covered his head in agony and Nyx made the light brighter still. Finally, he screamed once more and disappeared, shattering into a thousand pieces. The mind of the Shadow King went black and Nyx felt herself begin to fall.

********

King Endymion, Queen Serenity, Sailor Saturn, Usagi, Luna, Artemis, and Diana all watched as the Shadow King exploded in a brilliant light. They were forced to shield their eyes from the explosion and when they looked back, Akumu's body was gone. Usagi rose to her feet and wiped her tears with the back of her hand as the light from the Shadow King died away.

"Everyone!" Serenity gasped.

Pluto, Uranus, Neptune, the Asteroid Senshi, Apollo, Mars, Mercury, Venus, and Jupiter all stood just below the steps of the palace where the Shadow King had been. Behind them were several confused Pythians, some frightened animals, and Galaxia. They all smiled at the queen and Serenity returned the grin happily, tears coursing down her cheeks.

"What happened?" she asked.

"We were dead," Sailor Apollo said, "then Sailor Nyx appeared and somehow we were freed."

"She defeated the Shadow in the one place he could not fight back," Galaxia said. "His mind."

Usagi craned her neck, looking around the mass of people for her friend.

"Where is Akumu?" she wondered.

"With me," a new voice said.

All heads turned to where a woman stood in a glowing yellow light. She wore a yellow gown, had brown hair, and white wings sprouting from her back.

"Kami?" Serenity gasped.

The woman smiled gently. "I am Lucis, the Light and the Day. I have come to reclaim one who was lost to me."

She gestured with one hand and Sailor Nyx appeared. The girl floated above the ground and her eyes remained lifeless. Usagi started to run forward, but was caught by her father. 

"Akumu is not an ordinary senshi," Lucis said. "She was sent to Earth as Akumu and awakened as a senshi for the purpose of saving the Crystal Kingdom. Now that she has completed her task, she will come home."

"Home?" Serenity asked.

Lucis nodded. "After her chosen guardian was taken, Akumu was sent to Elysium where I had hoped she would stay. I placed her in the care of Elios, the Prince of Elysium and she remained an infant in that enchanted place until the Earth had need of her. When the future made it clear that the Shadow would soon be released, she was sent to Earth and grew up in Old Tokyo where it would be certain that Princess Usagi would find her."

"You had this planned all along?" Uranus demanded. 

"If Akumu was destined to save us, why let us all die?" Neptune asked.

"She had to make the decision herself," Lucis replied. "The future is written, as you all know, but it is ever changing. Now that her task is completed, she will return with me."

Lucis snapped her fingers and Sailor Nyx's senshi uniform melted away to be replaced by a gray and blue gown and two large angel wings. She blinked and her eyes regained their spark of life. 

"I - remember," she whispered. 

She turned to Lucis and smiled. "Sister, I've been away too long."

"Sister?" Jupiter asked. "This is too weird."

"I am the Dark and Guardian of the Night," Akumu told them all, moving to stand beside Lucis. "The Light is my sister, my true family."

"And now we must go home," Lucis said.

The two girls began rising into the air, surrounded by glowing yellow light. Usagi ran forward, reaching up to Akumu, tears coursing down her face. 

"I thought we were your family," Usagi cried. "This is your home."

Akumu looked down and then to Lucis again. The Day Guardian nodded once and disappeared. Akumu gently floated back to the ground. As she touched, Usagi threw her arms around her friend and Akumu hugged her back.

"Please don't go, Akumu," Usagi begged. "We need you here."

Akumu smiled. "If you need me, Usagi-chan, I'll stay."

Everyone cheered, even the Pythians as Apollo translated the dialogue for them. Usagi embraced her friend and Akumu's white wings disappeared, her gown melting into the dress she had been wearing before the battle.

"Let's all go inside," Endymion called. "We'll sort everything out over dinner."

The crowd cheered again and they all began to move into the palace. Usagi came up to her mother and placed the Silver Crystal into her palm. Serenity closed her hand around it and smiled.

"I'm proud of you, Small Lady," Serenity said.

"Thank you, Majesty," Usagi replied with a curtsey.

Serenity laughed and, taking her daughter's hand, they went into the palace together.

__

Here Ends 

Sailor Moon: Crystal Night

by Queen Azura


End file.
